Next of Kin
by Vinividivinci
Summary: A family tragedy leads to a whole new life for Jack. How will he cope and what does this mean for his team? It may go shippy my stories usually do but not at first.
1. Chapter 1

_**A new story - which has totally been done before (as have most of my stories). This is very much a family story - with some adventure thrown in. I hope you enjoy! **_

_**In case anyone is wondering I do plan to finish my other stories - just found myself with a bit of a writer's block and a need to start something new. **_

He put his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back. Picking up the remote he turned on the TV and flipped channels until he found the hockey game, which was just about to start. He then grabbed the plate with the huge sandwich he'd made for himself and placed it on his lap. Finally, he picked up a bottle of beer and took a long swig.

This was the life! He'd just returned after a five-day mission to P-something or other. He was pretty sure the 'P' in this case stood for 'piss-poor' planet. The whole mission had been a bust and all they'd come back with were sore feet, soggy clothes and, in his case, a chapped butt from sitting around on the damp ground.

He smirked slightly however, when he thought of the fact that his science twins hadn't fared any better. Usually it was Teal'c and he who had to endure days of boredom on these kind of missions. This time, both Carter and Daniel had been equally as bored – and as soggy – as the two military men.

"Serves you right Jackson", he muttered to himself. Daniel had been the one to push for extra time on this mission, something the archaeologist had regretted after the first day.

Still, it was nice to be back and to have some time off. They'd been going pretty hard and Hammond had given them a week's worth of down-time. He planned to do absolutely nothing he didn't have to and hoped to catch up on some important TV. He was pretty sure Sam would be fixing something – if not at the SGC then in her garage. He might just wander over one day to bug her. He grinned, there was nothing quite like bugging Carter when she was trying to fix something.

He frowned – except maybe for bugging Daniel. His friend would be home reading some dusty old tome and would _hate_ to be disturbed, he grinned and took a swig of beer. He thought about it for a few moments. Who brought the most satisfaction in the 'Jack torment' roster? He knew it wasn't Teal'c. Occasionally he could get his Jaffa friend, but usually the big man just stared at him and made him feel slightly childish. Daniel and Sam, on the other hand, were highly buggable.

So, back to the quandary – bothering which one gave him the most satisfaction? Well, Daniel was actually the easiest to irritate and the one who always fell for his teasing. Carter, on the other hand, was just too cute when he was harassing her. He loved the flush that would start on her neck and creep up to her cheeks. He also loved how she tried to stay totally respectful and military, while at the same time wanting to tell him off. He had watched her practically swallow her tongue on numerous occasions. He figured that if they were ever out of the same chain of command, or one of them retired, she'd let him have it.

He grinned and took another swig of beer. Yup, as much as it was loads of fun to bug Daniel, he had to admit that Carter was his favorite 'buggee'. Hell – Carter was his favorite everything. He sighed and drank again. Too bad – nope, just watch the game O'Neill.

He settled more comfortably and focused his eyes on the beginning of the game.

They were almost into the second period when the phone rang. He thought about ignoring it, knowing if it was urgent they'd try his cell phone, but after the third ring he sighed and reached for the receiver. It was still the first intermission in the game so he figured he would at least find out who it was.

"O'Neill", he answered.

"_Hello, is this Mr. Jonathon O'Neill, son of Richard and Elizabeth O'Neill, late of Minneapolis, Minnesota?"_

"Uh yeah", he sat up straighter and put his beer down. This sounded serious. "That's me. What's this about?"

"_My name is Irving Layton, from Layton, Perry and Ross. I'm a lawyer in Grand Rapids, MI. Mr. O'Neill, I regret to inform you that your cousin, Terry-Lyn Benton and her husband Ross were killed last week in an auto accident. The accident happened outside of Grand Rapids where they were living at the time."_

He sat frozen for a second – his cousin? God, he hadn't seen her since he was a young man and she'd been a little girl. She was much younger than he was and they hadn't lived close by so he really had never gotten the chance to know her. Her mom had been his father's younger sister, born after he'd already left home. She had been a definite accident, born to aging parents. He'd known his grandparents were devout Catholics so he'd always figured they must not have used birth control, although they'd only had the two children.

He knew his aunt and her husband had both died a number of years back and he had sent cards each time. Other than that he really didn't know anything about his cousin. He felt kind of bad about that, especially now that she'd been killed. Still, he wondered why the lawyer had called him. "I'm sorry", he finally said, although he realized after he'd said it that that was kind of weird. She was _his_ cousin, not the lawyer's. "Uh – I _am_ sorry" he repeated, "but I'm afraid I haven't seen her in years. You said last week? I assume they've had the funerals and everything so – uh – what can I do for you?"

"_Mr. O'Neill, were you aware that you were Terry-Lyn's closest living relative?"_

He hadn't, although he knew he didn't have any close family left. Once his parents had died he'd pretty much lost touch with any remaining relatives. "No, no I didn't", he replied, still puzzled by the call. Unless of course they wanted him to cover the cost of the funerals or something. God, he hoped not.

"_Yes well, after the accident we investigated to find relatives of either Terry-Lyn or Ross. I had briefly represented your cousin's husband in a legal matter a year ago so I was called upon to locate next of kin. Unfortunately, Ross was an orphan and had no one. We were eventually able to determine that you were the closest living family member."_

"O-kay", Jack answered, briefly noticing that the second period had begun and he didn't want to miss the game. He instantly felt guilty – God, his cousin had just died - the least he could do was pay attention. He flicked the remote and turned off the game. "Okay", he said in a stronger voice. "How can I help you?"

"_Mr. O'Neill", your cousin left three young children. As the closest remaining relative I am calling on behalf of the state to determine your willingness and eligibility to take guardianship of them."_

The stunned silence must have gone on for a long time because the lawyer's voice came over the phone again. _"Mr. O'Neill? Are you there?"_

"Wha -? Uh, yeah, I'm here. _What_ did you say?"

"_I am calling to determine if you would be willing to take custody of your cousin's children. As their closest living relative it is the responsibility of the state to determine whether or not you agree to take custody. Of course, they will have to determine whether or not you would be a fit guardian but the first step is to see if you would agree to it."_

"I – see", he answered, running his hand through his hair. He didn't know what the hell to think or to do. "Three you said? _Three_ kids?"

"_Yes. There's Matt, he's" there was a rustling of paper, "he's seven. Then there's Chloe, she's five and Ali is two and a half."_

"_Two and a half?"_ He rubbed his face this time. He knew he was sounding like a moron but he really didn't know what to think.

"_Yes, that's right. Are you alright Mr. O'Neill?"_

"Colonel", he replied.

"_Pardon me?"_ the lawyer asked, sounding confused.

"Oh – I'm sorry, but it's 'Colonel' O'Neill, not Mr. I'm with the Air Force."

"_My apologies Colonel. Look, I know this is a shock, so I don't expect an answer immediately, but I will need to know relatively quickly, for the sake of the children."_

"Yes, I understand. Uh – where are they now?"

"_They are being kept with a foster family. It is only temporary however and they cannot stay for too much longer."_

"I see. Tell me, what happens if I decide not to take them? I mean, it's not that I don't want to but my job – I'm away a lot."

"_I understand Colonel. In that case they would be made wards of the state and placed in foster care permanently."_

"Foster care?" he didn't like the sound of that, but maybe it would be okay if they got a good family. "They would be kept together, right?"

"_Well, my understanding is that they will try but it is usually difficult to keep siblings together. Very few families are able to take two, let alone three children. It will probably be easier to place the little one."_

God – they couldn't separate them, not after they'd just lost their parents. "Listen, when do you have to have my answer?"

"_In the next day or two Colonel. They've already been in their temporary setting for a week. It took us that long to locate you."_

"And they're in Grand Rapids?"

"_Yes. They were at their babysitter's when the accident occurred but she couldn't keep them with her. She contacted police who arranged to have them taken into care. Look, I'll give you my phone number and you can contact me. Please let me know if you need any more information. If you do decide to take them, I will explain the process to you."_

He said goodbye to the lawyer and sat there stunned. He had absolutely no idea what to do.

There was no way he could take three children to live with him, not with his job. He was away for days at a time and what he did was extremely dangerous. He could get killed which would leave them again without family. He couldn't do that to them.

But on the other hand, could he let them go into foster care? God, he'd heard the horror stories about what happened to foster kids. Oh, he knew there were good families, but many of them did it only for the money and the kids were disadvantaged often for the rest of their lives. No, he really didn't think he could do that.

Maybe he could see if he could find a family that wanted to adopt them? Surely there must be people out there who couldn't have children who would jump at the chance? He'd call the lawyer and ask about that.

He sat thinking about it the rest of the evening, not once thinking about the hockey game. He thought briefly about calling one of his teammates, but then reconsidered. He couldn't throw this burden on them. It wouldn't be fair.

He spent most of the night going back and forth over the problem. By dawn he knew what he had to do. As soon as it was late enough he picked up the phone and called the lawyer.

"Mr. Layton, Jack O'Neill here. Look, I thought about what you said. I was wondering if I could come up your way and talk to you and maybe see the kids?"

He wrote down all the details and thanked the lawyer. His next call was to General Hammond. He explained the situation and got permission to take extra time off if he needed it. He then packed a small duffle bag and arranged a hop to Grand Rapids.

The lawyer was kind enough to meet him at the airport and took him back to his office. "I checked into the adoption idea", he said, "and I'm afraid there isn't much possibility, at least for all three of them with the same family. Again, it might be possible to find a family for the littlest one -"

"Ali?"

"Uh, yes. The older ones will be a problem."

"Could I look after them until they found someone?"

"No, I'm afraid not. If you become their guardian the responsibility of the state stops. They won't look for a family for the children – or do anything, for that matter."

"Can't I act as their foster parent or something and then they'd keep looking for a family?"

"No, it doesn't work that way. If you agree to become their guardian the process is expedited and you can keep them with you while they're doing the check on your suitability. To become a foster parent takes at least six months and you couldn't have them during that time. They'd have to be split up into other foster homes, and there'd be no saying you'd get them back – probably not actually, since you're a single man – you are single?"

"Yes, uh divorced."

"Right. Well, as a single man I doubt they'd give you three children to look after."

"So, you're telling me it's easier to become their guardian than their foster parent?"

"Mmm hmm – kind of the same way it's easier to become a _parent_ than a foster parent."

"Damn – so that means unless I agree to take them, they're most likely going to end up split up and in foster care?"

"I'm afraid so", the other man said sympathetically. "Uh, did you still want to see the kids? I called the foster mother and said you might be by but she hasn't said anything to the kids yet."

Jack thought for a second and then took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'd like to meet them, but I don't want them to know about the guardianship."

"I understand." The lawyer pulled his cell out of his pocket and quickly dialed the foster mother and told her they were on the way. "It's just about ten minutes from here."

Jack looked out the window, not saying anything, as they drove. He still didn't know what to do. The issues hadn't changed any but the thought of the three kids being split up – hell, that would be horrible after they'd just lost they're parents.

They arrived at the small, grubby little house in what was obviously a poor part of town. As Jack followed the lawyer up the front walkway he couldn't help but see the broken toys in the yard and the general air of squalor that surrounded the place. "Not very nice", he said.

Layton grimaced and nodded his head in agreement. He hated to even think what kind of place this was.

The woman who opened the door didn't look that much better than the house. She was gaunt, to the point of emaciation, and her skin was pale and pock-marked. Jack felt himself shudder.

"You here to see the Benton kids?" she asked, standing back. "They're in the bedroom – I can't get 'em separated." She turned and walked a few steps down the hall. "Hey – you kids, get in here. There's somebody to see you!" She turned to Jack and smiled, obviously interested in the handsome man in front of her. "You here to take 'em?"

"I just want to meet them", he said calmly.

"Yeah?", she shrugged. "They barely talk. Weren't even interested in watching TV." Since the TV was blaring in the background, and the area surrounding the couch was covered in dirty plates and food wrappers, he figured that was just about all the woman did.

Just then he saw movement from the hallway and looked over to see three, frightened looking children standing there. The little boy – Matt – was holding the hands of the two little girls. He looked solemnly at the adults but Jack could see a spark of something in his eyes. As he looked closer he realized he recognized that look. This little boy would protect those two girls to death – and he was sizing up what he saw as a potential enemy.

"Hi", Jack said softly, squatting down. "My name is Jack, what's yours?"

None of the children answered. The littlest one – Ali – buried her face against her brother's leg. The other girl – Chloe – looked as if she was going to cry, although she was obviously trying hard to be strong.

He figured it was that – her courage - and the older boy's obvious love and sense of responsibility towards his sisters – that captured his heart from that very moment. There was no way in hell he was going to allow these kids to be split up. He turned to the lawyer.

"Mr. Layton, I'll take them", he said quietly.

The lawyer smiled and nodded. He'd known, as soon as he'd met Colonel O'Neill in person, that he was going to keep those kids. For the first time since he'd been handed this tragic case he felt some hope. They didn't know it now, but these three children, who had just gone through such tragedy, had been given something special in the person of one Jonathon O'Neill.

"Of course you will Colonel. Let's go get the paper work done and then you can take them home with you."

Jack watched the small house as they pulled away. Rarely had he found anything so hard as to leave those kids in that place, but until the paperwork was filed he had no choice. He'd spoken softly to the children, telling them he was related to their mom and that they were going to come live with him. He didn't know if any of that had sunk in. These poor kids were terrified and traumatized – although he thought he saw a flicker of relief in Matt's eyes. At least he hoped he had.

That night he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd spent the rest of the day at the lawyers filling out what felt like dozens of forms and answering every question under the sun. When he'd told the lawyer about Charlie – he'd had to say whether or not he'd had any children – the man had briefly looked worried.

"Is that going to be a problem?" he'd asked, with a frown.

"You say you were cleared of any wrong doing?" Layton had asked in return.

"Yes", he answered shortly. He wasn't going to tell the man that, while he hadn't been held guilty by the police, inside he still knew he was at fault. He'd often wondered if he would have felt better if he had, in fact, been charged.

"Then it should be fine. It's only if we get some over-zealous case worker." He stopped and looked seriously at Jack. "You should be prepared, however. I expect it's still very painful for you, but it will probably be dragged out repeatedly in any interviews."

"Okay", he answered calmly, although inside he felt sick. God – he didn't know if he could handle people probing and asking questions. He'd had to go through it at the inquest after Charlie – and it had almost sent him over the edge. He prayed he could handle it. Still, it was for the sake of the three kids – he'd just _have_ to handle it!

"Okay", Layton had sighed, clearly exhausted as well. "That looks like everything for now. I'll get these filed immediately and hopefully you should be able to take the kids in just a couple of days. You'll be able to take some of their clothes and toys, although the house and the rest of the belongings will be held pending the estate being settled. That will probably take a while since the parents didn't leave a will."

After that he'd headed back to the hotel, grabbed a quick supper and then had crashed. He tried to figure out what to do next, but he still felt like he was in shock. He'd have to call Hammond and tell him – and then he'd have to tell his team. He sighed, knowing it was not going to be easy. He didn't know yet what it would mean for SG1.


	2. The Journey Begins

_**I always feel so bad about not always getting back to people who review. Please know I LOVE getting reviews- they make my day - it's just I'm always rushing around with a million things on the go. So, this time I'm going to thank you all here and hope to get back to you individually when I can.**_

**_So, thank you to the following WONDERFUL people who took the time to review: judyhild; not a zatarc; RoseA26; Yol; LAIsobel; damnflamingos; ALIMOO1971; Rachel A. Prongs; dpdp; Brook; pain in the mikta; gater62; mishellina; Nia; froggy0319_**

**_Thanks also to those who've added this to story alert or me to author alert. I love you guys!_**

**_One other thing - Ali in this story is named in honor of one of my long-time faithful reviewers and all time Stargate Sg1 expert, ALIMOO1971. I'm sure you're even cuter than Ali, ALIMOO!_**

He had a helluva lot to do and not very much time. Sleeping had been close to impossible so he'd gotten up early and had gone down to the hotel lobby to use a computer and look some things up around grief and children.

The first tasks were, of course, to simply get the immediate, practical details looked after. He only had a couple of days before he would take the children with him to Colorado Springs. So, the rest of the day was going to be trying to figure out how to get everything done.

He thought again about his team, but none of them had children and right now he needed to worry about simply having his house set up properly. Dave! Dave Dixon, that was the person to call. He had four kids and counting and if there was anyone who could help him it would be him.

He called the Colonel as soon as it was late enough. He quickly explained what had happened, and what he needed and Dave was more than happy to help. He said his wife Suzanne would also be more than pleased to gather some things for him.

"There's nothing she likes more than to shop even if it's for someone else!"

"And Dave, you can get the key to my house from Hammond – I'll tell him you're going to stop by – but please don't say anything to my team. I want to tell them myself."

"Sure thing Jack, don't worry. Just let me know when your flight is coming in and I'll pick you up. You'll need a car seat for the little one and boosters for the others and my van already comes equipped!"

"Thanks Dave, I'll let you know."

Well, that was one set of problems dealt with! Now he had to talk to the social worker and arrange a meeting with her. Then he had to see the lawyer and get permission to talk to the kids' teachers and get their records. Fortunately school was almost over for the year so he didn't have to worry about transferring them mid-year. Finally, he and Layton had to go to the house and gather the kids things. Some he'd take with them, others he'd have shipped.

The meeting with the social worker wasn't as bad as he'd feared. He simply had to provide some personal details and a contact person to prove employment. Personal records and references would wait until he was back home and the lengthy legal process to get permanent guardianship began.

He spent almost two hours at the school, talking to the teachers and getting the kids' information. Most of the time was actually spent simply talking to the teachers who were pretty stricken by the whole thing. Matt was in second grade and was well liked by his teachers. Chloe, who was in kindergaarten was a little more shy and quiet than her brother but was also well-liked. The teachers informed him that they'd already brought grief counselors in to talk to the children and explain why the two kids were gone. Little Ali had still been home with her mother.

"Terry-Lyn and Ross were such good parents", the Principal was telling him. "They were involved here at the school and spent a lot of time doing things with the children. It's such a terrible shame."

Jack agreed but assured the woman that he'd do everything he could to help them and to give them all the love he could.

"Do you have children of your own Colonel O'Neill", the Principal asked.

He knew he'd probably be getting this question a lot so might as well learn to deal right now. "I did", he answered calmly, "but he was killed a few years ago in – in an accident." There, he'd said it, even though he still didn't quite believe those words.

"Oh, I'm so sorry", she said, laying a hand briefly on his arm. "Please, don't ever hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns." She reached down and took a card off her desk and quickly wrote something on it. "Here's my card – it has the school number but I've also written my home number and email in case you need to get in touch during the summer. I know this is hard, but I'm sure it will all be okay. You seem like a caring person and more than anything those children need to know they're loved."

He thanked her and the other teachers and made his way out of the school. Already he felt emotionally exhausted and knew there was more to come.

Late that afternoon he met Layton at the Benton's house. It was modest but obviously well-loved and cared for. He had to stop a moment when he first walked in because it looked like it was just waiting for everyone to return and get back to family life. He felt a wave of sadness wash over him, knowing that this family was forever broken. He remembered this very feeling when he'd returned to Sara and his house after Charlie - . He stopped and took a deep breath.

"We're allowed to collect the children's personal possession only", the lawyer informed him, breaking his lapse into difficult memories. "Everything else will stay and be itemized for the courts. This is the reason why I'm always telling my clients to do their wills!"

Jack nodded and quietly followed him into what looked like Matt's room, if the sports pictures and models were any indication. They'd brought boxes and tape with them so soon got to work packing things up.

He packed a suitcase full of clothing and a few toys. He was interested to note that there were models and pictures of airplanes and spaceships all over. There was even a small telescope in one corner of the room. He was glad about that – it looked like he and Matt might have some things in common. When he found the hockey stick in the closet, along with skates and a uniform he felt himself relax a bit more. He wasn't quite sure what he would have done if the kid was in to bonsai gardening or something.

Once he was finished in the boy's room he and Layton made their way to Chloe's room. Here he felt a little bit out of his league although since Cassie he had a better sense of what girls liked than he had had when Charlie was still alive. He did feel kind of funny packing up all the little girl clothes – god, who knew there was so much pink in the world – but knew he'd better get used to it pretty quickly, now that he had two of them.

He could feel himself begin to get choked up when he had to pack some of the stuffed animals that were lying all over. There was one little pink bear that looked well-loved and he wondered if she was missing it. She'd need everything she could get to give her some comfort.

He ended in the toddler's room. This was quicker although when he saw the stack of diapers he gulped. Damn, he'd forgotten that! Hopefully she'd soon be out of them if she was already two and a half. He couldn't quite remember when Charlie had been potty-trained but he thought it was somewhere between two and three. He really wasn't looking forward to _that_ task.

"There are some toys in the playroom", Layton informed him. "I'll start in there and then I think we should be done."

Jack nodded and got going with Ali's things. Finally finished he walked out to find the lawyer still packing away what looked like train tracks. Just then he turned and noticed a number of family pictures on the walls and on the tables. "Can I take some of these?" he asked.

"Uh, I'm afraid not", the lawyer said. "They're considered part of the parent's belongings." He grimaced and glanced at Jack, knowing as well as the other man how important having pictures of their parents would be. "I'm uh just going to use the bathroom", he said. "There's such a lot of stuff in here I'm afraid I'm not going to remember what was here when I come back to do the full inventory." With a meaningful look at the Colonel he turned and headed down the hall.

Jack grinned slightly. He'd always had an aversion to most lawyers, but he must admit he'd gotten to like Irving Layton a lot. He quickly grabbed as many pictures as he could find and packed them up in a box, taped it and labeled it 'Toys – P'. The 'P' was to tell him what was in the box so it wasn't opened carelessly. He'd have to find out from an expert how to do this thing with the kids.

"Looks like we're almost done", Layton returned a few minutes later. He didn't say anything about the missing items and Jack wanted to thank him – instead he gave him a small nod. The lawyer smiled and nodded in return and both of them silently agreed to forget the whole thing.

"Let's just stack them by the door and I'll arrange for pick up and shipping. Just take the clothes and whatever you think you'll need right away."

Jack loaded up the suitcases and a couple of boxes in the car and they headed back to his hotel. He was more than tired by now and wondered how he was going to get through the next day when he had to pick up the kids.

The phone in his room rang at 0800 hours the next morning. Layton informed him that the paper work was done and he could pick up the children at 10:00. "Have you arranged a flight to Colorado?" he asked.

"I'm taking them with me on a military hop", he informed the other man. "Since I have temporary guardianship they can fly with me as family and it'll be quicker and cheaper than a regular flight. I can also bring all their cases and stuff with me."

Arriving at the dirty little house Jack had to pause and take a deep breath before stepping out of the car. He'd ordered a cab – a van – with car seats. "Just wait here, it may take a few minutes", he told the driver.

The woman – what the hell was her name – answered the door and immediately let him in. "You here to take the kids?" she asked.

When he nodded she called for them. The three young children immediately appeared, in almost the exact same formation as they had the first time he'd seen them. This time, however, they had their jackets on.

"Their stuff is in the back", the woman told him. "It's all packed up ready to go if you want to go and get it."

"Hi kids", he said first. "I've come to take you home with me. Remember, I told you I wa – am your Mom's cousin? Well, I'm going to look after you and make sure you're okay. I'll just go with – uh – I'll go and get your stuff and then we can get going."

The kids simply stared at him and he felt terrible. He wanted to go up to them and give them all a hug and tell them it was going to be okay, that he'd love and protect them. He knew though that it would probably just freak them out right now. He had to build their trust first.

He got their things – three small, pathetic plastic bags full of stuff. He saw that none of them had any kind of stuffed animal or 'snuggly' so hoped he'd picked out the right ones. He turned to the foster mother. "Uh, thanks for everything."

"No problem", she said, her breath reeking of cigarettes. "Anytime you want to come and visit you're welcome!"

Somehow he knew the invitation was meant for him, not for the kids. Over my dead body lady, he thought. Instead he smiled and ushered the children out.

He got them all settled in the car and then went to the trunk and retrieved some of the objects he'd brought. He opened the van door. "I don't know if you kids want these - " Before he had a chance to finish he heard a 'squeal' from Ali and she reached out and grabbed the well-worn 'Dora' doll. She pulled it to her and wrapped her little arms around it.

He had a similar reaction from Chloe with the little pink bear, although she didn't make a sound, she just reached out and took it from him. He could see the tears form in her eyes as she hugged it and he instantly choked up himself.

He held on to the green, much loved, floppy dinosaur and looked at Matt. The little boy was biting his lip, clearly torn. Jack could tell that he wanted the thing, desperately, but he was also afraid of appearing too 'little'. He'd probably been growing out of it but now needed the security.

"My son had one just like this", he said quietly. "I gave it to him for his birthday. He loved dinosaurs", he told this other little boy. He held it out carefully. "You might just want to hold on to it so it doesn't get lost. I have a lot of other stuff and I didn't know where to put it."

Matt glanced at him and Jack was pretty sure the kid knew what he was trying to do. Still, it was an out for him so he nodded and carefully accepted the dinosaur. He didn't pull it towards him the way his sisters had with theirs but Jack saw the way his fingers clutched it desperately.

"Great, thanks Matt. I'm going to get in the front with the driver so if you need anything just holler." He gave one last look at the three, sad faces in the car and sighed. This was going to be hard.

He got them all settled in the aircraft after explaining to the officer on duty that he had permission. He also told him, quietly, what had happened. The man had kids himself so was especially good with the Benton kids and got them drinks and snacks.

Matt's eyes grew big as they walked across the tarmac and onto the plane. For a moment his grief was forgotten and he took in all the activity around him and the men and women in uniform.

Jack looked down at the wide-eyed little boy and thanked the stars that he was fascinated by all this. He knew it might be a way to reach through his grief and begin to connect with him. He then glanced down at the little girl in his arms and had to smile. She'd resisted at first, when he went to pick her up, but he'd squatted down beside her and had talked gently to her, asking about Dora and telling her how pretty she was and what a big girl. After a few moments he'd even got a small smile from her and when he put his arms out this time she went into them without complaint.

Of the three kids, he figured that Chloe was going to be the hardest to reach. She was quiet and so far hadn't appeared to react too much other than when he'd given her the bear. She stayed as close as possible to her brother and shied away anytime Jack got too close. He was careful to move and speak quietly around her and hoped that she'd soon warm up to him. He wished at that moment that Carter was with him. He suspected that Chloe might respond better to a woman.

Once they were all buckled in – Matt sitting wide-eyed next to the window – he was able to relax a bit. He took a deep breath and realized that the journey was just beginning – and he wasn't talking about the trip to Colorado!

He watched as the kids played lethargically with some of the toys he'd brought. He'd also made sure he had a variety of healthy snacks and drinks. Fortunately they didn't seem to be picky about what they ate, although none of them seemed too hungry. He knew grief could do that.

As he carefully watched the kids he thought about his own journey through grief. He certainly could feel for what they were experiencing, but he also knew his experience had been as an adult. He'd never experienced the grief of a child losing its parents.

Well, he thought, with a gentle smile, he certainly had folks he could draw upon for that. The smile faded though when he thought about how sad it was that so many of those closest to him _had_ experienced that loss. He was grateful he had them, but not for what they'd been through.

There was Sam, who had lost her mother at a young and tender age. He knew that loss was still with her and had influenced many of the choices she had made. She'd understand what the girls especially were going through and he was confident she'd be there for him and for them.

Then, of course, there was Daniel. He had lost both parents, and at about the same age that Matt was now, if maybe a bit older. Sadly he had had no one to take him and had ended up living with various foster families. It was his experience, more than anything else, which had decided Jack that he _had_ to take the kids.

Finally there was Cassie. She had most recently lost her family – and not just her family, but her entire world. More than anyone she'd understand what the kids were going through. Of course she was pretty young herself and he knew it wouldn't be right to expect her to 'council' the kids. Still, she would be a great help.

For himself he knew that he was going to have to talk to some experts and the place to start was with Janet. She'd been through this with Cassie and knew where to point him to get some good resources and some professionals with whom he could talk. He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. He could feel the headache coming on and also the fear. Was he up to handling this? He just thanked God for his team and his friends.

By the time they landed both Chloe and Ali were sound asleep. Ali had begun to whimper as she'd gotten tired and he'd reached over and pulled her onto his lap. She'd protested a bit and then had relaxed and snuggled into him and was soon sound asleep. He breathed in her baby scent and closed his eyes, transported back to when Charlie was this little. As hard as he knew this was going to be, he also knew that there was nothing like the love of a child – something he'd missed desperately in his life.

"We're about ready to land Sir", an Airman came back and told him.

He thanked him and got everyone settled. He kept Ali in his arms, not having the heart to wake her up. Chloe slept through the landing although when they bumped down she opened her eyes and looked around. When she spotted him holding Ali she seemed to relax a bit. At least she seemed to be less afraid of him now.

Other than a few whispered sentences to each other, the kids hadn't spoken to him yet. They'd nodded when he'd asked them direct questions, but that was all. He couldn't blame them, really. He was a complete stranger who had suddenly come into their lives and was taking them far away from their home and all they knew.

With the help of a couple of Airmen he was able to get the kids out of the plane and down the stairs. He saw Dave Dixon standing by the fence, waving at him. He gave a short wave back although he was still carrying a sleeping Ali, and headed with his new family towards the Colonel.

"Thanks Dave", he said quietly. He looked down at Matt and Chloe. "This is my friend Dave. He's got four kids and he's come to pick us up."

"Hi kids", Dave said gently. "Come follow me and we'll get you home really quick. When you're settled in a bit more I know my kids would love to play with you. I have a son just your age Matt and a little girl who's five, a boy who's three and a baby. I'm sure you'll have fun with them."

As usual the kids didn't answer but it didn't seem to bother Dixon at all. He gave Jack a sympathetic glance, understanding how traumatic this was for the little ones.

They got everyone settled into the car. Ali woke up when she was put into the car seat and cried a bit but seemed to settle when she received her doll and a sippy cup with diluted apple juice. Then they were off.

"I managed to get things set up as much as possible Jack", Dixon told him. "We bought a toddler bed for Ali, since she's probably just about ready to move out of a crib anyway. I wasn't sure the best way to set up the rooms. I figured the kids would want to be together, at least for the first little while, so we moved out the queen bed in your guest room and set up two twins and the toddler bed. It'll be crowded so you may want to put their things in the other spare room until you decide to move Matt into his own room."

"Thanks Dave, that sounds good."

"Suzanne also went around and child proofed as much as possible. With a two year old you definitely don't want to leave your models and stuff around!"

"Yeah, I remember", Jack answered.

Dave looked at him briefly in surprise. Jack rarely spoke in reference to his son, but Dave guessed things would be different now. He glanced at Matt and wanted to whistle. He wondered if Jack had noticed.

"When are you going to tell your team?" he asked.

"Tonight I guess. I can't leave the kids so I'll ask them to come over after they're sleeping, so I can explain things."

"This gonna mean some changes?" Dixon asked carefully.

Jack sighed. "I don't know what it means yet Dave. I haven't really had much chance to even think about the future. I've just had to deal with the immediate issues right now. I'll have to talk to Hammond and see what I can do. For the next little while at least I'll have to stay – here."

Dave nodded. "Well, if there's anything Suzanne or I can do, let us know."

"Thanks Dave, I appreciate it – and for all you've done already. This has been a great help."

They arrived at Jack's a few minutes later and Dave helped them get in the house and get settled. Jack took the kids' things and put them in his third bedroom, which he'd used as an office, but now had to rearrange. He then showed the kids where they were to sleep.

"This is your room for now kids", he told them, again getting down to speak with them. He knew he was tall and could be intimidating and they seemed to respond to him better when he was on their level. "Matt, there's another room which is for you when you're ready, okay? You just let me know when you get tired of all the pink and dolls and we'll get you set up."

Matt looked at him for a moment but finally nodded. Jack noticed that he was clutching his dinosaur tightly – he'd made the right decision giving it to the little boy.

"Okay everyone, why don't you come out to the living room and I'll turn on the TV while I fix you some supper. Then it's bath and bed for everyone, okay?"

Two little heads nodded, while Ali stood next to her brother. As Jack went to turn towards the other room he heard a soft 'up'. He looked over and there was the little girl looking at him, her arms up.

He grinned and bent down and picked her up. He felt a warmth spread through him when she laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed into him. She was already beginning to trust him.

The others followed him into the living room and he settled them on the couch and turned on the TV and found an appropriate channel. He certainly didn't want to get into the habit of using the electronic babysitter, but for now it helped.

Once the kids had eaten he knew the hard part was to come. He had to get them bathed, something he hadn't done in a while. He filled the tub and asked who wanted to go first. Chloe and Matt glanced at each other and finally Matt stepped forward. Jack would have laughed, if it wasn't so sad. The little boy looked like he was volunteering to go first for the guillotine.

He helped the little boy and then left him, knowing that he was old enough to at least wash some of himself. Jack knocked and stuck his head in. "Need help with your hair?" he asked. When Matt nodded he came in and quickly washed the little boy's hair, being careful to keep the soap out of his eyes. He then did a quick check behind the ears. "Oops I see a little spot that was hiding!" He washed it quickly, and was pleased when he heard a small giggle from Matt. "There ya go – all squeaky clean."

Once Matt was dressed in his pajamas it was Chloe's turn. Oy vey – he'd never had to deal with a little girl before. She was also younger so he didn't know if he should leave her or not. In the end, she seemed to want him to stay. He put some bubble bath in (thanks to Suzanne who'd provided some) and quickly helped her wash. He did her hair, marveling at how soft the curly blond hair was. He smiled as he washed it, thinking that this must have been what Carter was like as a little girl.

He helped dry her off and got her into her little pink nightie. The hardest part was combing her hair so as not to pull it. She was brave during the whole process even though he apologized profusely the one time he'd pulled a little hard. She'd actually given a small giggle when he'd crossed his eyes – and then his heart – promising to be more careful next time.

When they were finally finished she actually allowed him to pick her up and take her into the bedroom. Matt was carefully watching Ali and he gave a small grin when he saw Chloe come back.

"Okay – one more to go", Jack said. He wiped his brow dramatically and groaned. "Cleaning kids is a _lot_ of work", he cried. "I'm exhausted!"

Both Matt and Chloe giggled at Jack's silly expression. He realized suddenly that he hadn't told them what to call him. "Hey guys, if you want anything, or need to tell me something you can just call me Uncle Jack, okay?" The two faces grew solemn but both nodded. He knew it would be awhile before they called him anything.

"Alright, in bed with the two of you! I'm going to get Ali cleaned up and in her PJ's and then it's off to the land of dreams for all of you."

He decided that the little one was going to get a sponge bath tonight. He didn't have the energy left for a full bath and the little girl was already half asleep. He put fresh diapers on her – it came back quickly – and put her PJ's on and then tucked her into her toddler bed. She gave him a hug and kiss which caused him to smile. He then went over to the other two and kissed each of them on the cheek – carefully and quickly. Neither of them shied away, but they didn't return it. That would take time.

He left a small night light on, knowing that at least for the first few days they'd probably be frightened in a new place. He said a quiet, 'good night' and then closed the door, leaving it ajar just a few inches. He then made his way into his living room and collapsed on the couch. He really was exhausted. After a few minutes rest he reached over and picked up the phone. It was time to talk to his team.


	3. Team Night

_**Wow! I can't thank you all enough for the amazing reviews to my last two chapters. I'm so glad you're all enjoying it. I didn't really have time to write today (I'm away and have to prepare a speech for tomorrow) but because of all the numerous and wonderful reviews, I'm getting out a really short chapter tonight. I will definitely get one to you (longer) tomorrow night.**_

_**Thank you all again!**_

"So Jack, what was so important you wanted us all to come over -"

"Shhh!" Jack interrupted Daniel, who was standing at his front door, Teal'c in tow. "Come on in", he whispered, "but be quiet."

"Okay", Daniel whispered back, a puzzled frown on his face. "Uh Jack?" he asked as they got to the living room. "Why do we have to be quiet?"

"I'll explain in a minute, after Carter gets here. You guys want a drink?"

A few minutes later the doorbell rang again and Jack hurried to answer it. As soon as the door opened he put his finger to his mouth. "Shhh Carter, be real quiet okay?"

"Okay Sir", she said softly, as puzzled as Daniel had been.

He waived her in and suddenly felt much better now that his team was here. He'd thought about calling Janet but decided that could wait. He owed these three an explanation first, then he'd talk to the Doc.

Once everyone had been served a drink he sat down and thought about how to explain everything. He sat in the chair and leaned forward, hands on his knees, facing Daniel and Teal'c, who were on the couch. Carter was seated in the chair beside his.

"I asked you here tonight -" Suddenly there was a noise, and a small, teary-eyed little boy was standing in the entrance to the living room. "Matt!" Jack stood up and walked over to the boy and squatted down. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The little boy sniffed and slowly shook his head. He was clutching his dinosaur but looked so lost and frightened that it broke Jack's heart. "Here", he held out his arms and they were immediately full of small boy. He stood up stiffly, holding on to Matt, wishing there was something he could do for him.

The others in the room looked on in surprise, and soon in shock. Daniel had taken one look at Matt and his eyes grew big. They swiveled over to the picture on the wall of Jack, Sara and Charlie. He saw that Teal'c was looking at it as well, and then back to Jack and the little boy he held.

Teal'c and Daniel slowly looked at one another and then at Sam. If anything, her expression was even more surprised than theirs. She kept looking between the little boy and the Colonel. The similarity was obvious.

Jack finally was able to move over to the chair and sit down with Matt, who was still crying. He held him and rocked him almost as if he was a baby. The poor child needed comfort, needed someone to hold him and love him. He'd lost almost everything and Jack would have sold his soul to be able to give this child back what he'd lost. Instead, all he could do was love him.

It took a few minutes, but finally Matt fell asleep, exhausted by the changes and experiences of the day. Jack stood up slowly and made his way to the bedroom and gently laid him down. He waited to make sure he was sound asleep before returning to his teammates and friends.

As soon as he'd left the three remaining members of SG1 looked at each other.

"I did not know O'Neill had a child", Teal'c said, the first to speak.

"Uh, I didn't either Teal'c." Daniel was desperately trying to figure out how this could have happened without any of them knowing. Hell, maybe Jack hadn't even known. It could be that the mother – whoever she was – had simply shown up and told him he was a father. By the kids age it would have happened right around the time Jack lost his son though, which seemed strange.

"We don't know that that _is_ the Colonel's son", Sam said softly. "We're jumping to conclusions."

"Sam, you saw him as clearly as I did. That kid was the spittin' image of Jack. And look at that picture of Charlie – he looks like him as well."

"Okay but maybe it's his nephew or something." She was hoping to find some explanation, although even if it was his son it really didn't matter. It's not like – they couldn't – hell, so what if he had a son? She refused to pay any attention to tightness in her chest.

"Jack was an only child", Daniel answered her.

"Sorry guys", the man in question said softly as he walked in the room. His hair was messy as if he'd been running his hands through it, which was probably the case. "I asked you all to come here so I could explain about Matt and his sisters. I thought he'd stay asleep but I guess it was too much for him today."

_Sisters_? Teal'c and Daniel looked at each other. Sam kept her eyes on Jack.

"Jack, what's going on? _Is _that your son?" Daniel wanted to know

"My son? Where'd you get that idea Daniel?" Jack asked, almost angrily. "Of course he's not my son. My son – I don't have a son, not anymore."

"I'm sorry Jack", Daniel immediately felt badly. "It's just – he looks so much like you."

"No he doesn't", the Colonel answered.

"Yes he does O'Neill", Teal'c said.

"Yes Sir, he looks just like you. We all noticed it." Sam wasn't about to point out how much he looked like Charlie, not after his comment.

"Oh." He stared at them for a moment as if he thought they were crazy. "Well, he's not. He's actually my cousin's son. His name is Matt and he's seven."

"I didn't know you _had _a cousin Jack." Daniel was trying to remember anything he could about Jack's family. He didn't remember his friend ever speaking about a cousin.

"Well I don't", he said heavily, "not now at any rate. She was a lot younger than me and I only saw her a few times in my life. Her name was Terry-Lyn – Terry-Lyn Benton. She and her husband were killed in a car accident last week."

"Killed? Oh Sir, I'm so sorry. So that's why that poor little boy was crying?" Sam looked at him compassionately.

"Yes", he answered softly, looking at Sam whose eyes had filled with tears. "That's the first time I've seen him cry. He's tried to be so strong for his sisters."

"I'm sorry too Jack – for you but especially for the kid." Daniel stopped a moment, his eyes remembering his own loss of so long ago. The pain never went completely away. "So, you're looking after him?" Daniel interjected.

"_Them_", O'Neill answered.

"Oh yeah", Daniel replied. "You said he had sisters?"

"Yes. He has two, Chloe, who's five and Ali, who's two. They're both asleep right now in my guest room."

"Oh wow Sir", Sam looked at him with respect. "That's good of you. How long will you have them?"

"For ever Carter."

There was silence in the room as his teammates absorbed what he had said. At first they were all blank-faced, but soon each wore a different expression.

Teal'c looked his usual calm self, although the brow always gave away any inner turmoil. In this instance, based on the twitching in that brow, Jack figured he was either upset, or worried.

"Jack – how – you mean _you're_ going to keep the kids and look after them?" Daniel looked like he didn't know what to make of this whole thing. Well, thought Jack, neither did he.

"Yes Daniel, that's what I mean. Look guys", he turned to face all three of them, "I'm the only relative they have and if I don't take them they'll end up in foster homes, most likely split up. I just – I couldn't do that to them."

"No, of course you couldn't Sir", Sam said, giving him a soft smile.

Daniel was silent but then looked up, his eyes hitting O'Neill's. "No Jack – you couldn't. You did the right thing and I'll support you in any way I can."

"I will as well O'Neill. I would be proud to help you with the children."

"Thanks Danny, T – I knew I could count on you guys."

"And me Colonel", Sam said. "You know I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thanks Carter – I had no doubt that you would. In fact, I'm going to ask you to give me a hand sooner rather than later if you don't mind."

"Of course not Sir. What would you like me to do?"

"Well, the middle child – Chloe – seems frightened of me – or at least uncomfortable around me. I thought she might find it easier to have a woman nearby. If you didn't mind, I was wondering if you could come over tomorrow and spend some time with her."

"Of course Sir, I'd be happy to." Sam smiled gently at her commanding officer, both touched and flattered that he'd ask her.

"Jack?" Daniel suddenly sat up straight and looked at the Colonel. "What about SG1? What are you going to do about gate travel and going on missions?"

Jack sighed again, knowing that this had to come up. "I don't know guys. I haven't really had time to even think about it. I just found out about the kids a few days ago and had to go to Michigan to pick them up. I'll be speaking with Hammond in a couple of days. In the meantime I'm still on downtime, and I asked Hammond for a few extra days. I'll let you know as soon as _I_ know."

His team was quiet, each of them contemplating what it would mean if Jack weren't to return to SG1. At the same time, all of them understood the importance of what he was doing. They just really didn't want to break up the team.

They spent a while discussing the kids and what was needed to make their transition into life with Jack easier. They all offered to help, for which he was grateful, although he figured he'd keep Teal'c away for a little while. It wasn't that he was worried his friend would hurt them – no, he knew Teal'c would guard them with his life. What he was afraid of was scaring them to death. Teal'c looked pretty ferocious, even though around kids he was a pussy cat.

No, for now he'd have Carter over and then maybe Daniel. He was pretty sure they'd like Carter – he really hoped Chloe took to her.

It was almost midnight by the time the team was ready to leave. Carter said goodbye first, and told him she'd be back the next day by nine. Next Teal'c said his 'goodnights' and headed to the car. Daniel stayed back a minute to talk to Jack.

What now, sighed Jack, as he looked at his friend? He really didn't think he could take any of Danny's 'advice'.

"You did good Jack", Daniel said quietly. "Real good. Foster care is no place for children, especially when they're still grieving."

"Yeah, I know", he answered the younger man. He was so glad he'd made the decision he had.

"And Jack – they couldn't have a better guardian than you. They're lucky kids." With that Daniel turned and headed to the car.

Jack cleared his throat, unable to speak in time to say anything to Daniel. Of course, he didn't know quite _what_ he'd say to that. Compliments made him feel uncomfortable but he knew to have answered sarcastically – always his first choice – would have been unfair to his friend. In the end he simply smiled and waved once at Daniel as he pulled out of the driveway. From his grin, he knew exactly what Jack was saying.

"I just hope you're not going to end up getting hurt Jack", Daniel said to himself as he drove away. Teal'c turned and looked at him but didn't speak. He too prayed that this would be a good decision for O'Neill.

Teal'c smiled and looked straight ahead again. Yes, O'Neill would be good for the children. Even more than that, they'd be good for O'Neill.


	4. Of Loss and Love

_**Okay – because you're all so wonderful, amazing, awesome and incredible, I'm writing a longish chapter tonight. There is some Daniel angst but hopefully nothing too bad.**_

_**Please keep those reviews coming – they **__**really**_** make me determined to get chapters written and posted! I'm not going to be able to respond to all of you(!) but I will try to do a few at a time (in random order). Thanks so much again.**

By the time he got home it was late, really late. He'd dropped Teal'c off at the SGC and had headed home, tired but knowing that he would be unable to sleep. When he walked into his apartment he didn't turn on the light, needing the comfort and safety of the dark.

He walked into the middle of his living room and stopped. He kept remembering the cries of the young boy, the fear, the need. It had brought the memories rushing back and he couldn't continue any farther.

Usually, if he allowed himself to think closely about his life, to grieve, it was about Sha'are, his young wife whom he had lost much too soon. Rarely did he think about his childhood, or his parents – not anymore. That was so far in the past that he thought he'd let it go. It wasn't as if there weren't other things in his life to think about.

But tonight – seeing young Matt – the memories couldn't help but rush in. The memory of watching his parents die, crushed to death under the weight of the pillars, came hurtling in. He remembered so clearly the feeling of being frightened – of being lost and so alone. He had been too young to know what the people around him were saying, all he could remember were the hushed voices of adults, talking, staring, frowning. He remembered being moved from place to place, no one knowing what to do or to say.

Oh, it wasn't that some people didn't try. He had vague pictures of a young woman who tried to offer some comfort, but he was sure she had been just as frightened as he was. He thought maybe she had been a young social worker, stuck with the orphan and not knowing what to do.

He could feel, as if it was yesterday, the desperation to have someone come, someone to hold him, to tell him it was going to be okay, that he was going to be okay. But no one had. No one had come, no one had said anything. Instead, he kept moving, from place to place, from room to room, holding on to the very few possession he had.

There had been a man – a tall, stern man, who had tried to explain to him that he was an orphan and that he was now in the custody of the state. He hadn't known what that meant, but he knew it was terrifying. The man told him he would be going to live with a family and that it was his job to be quiet, to be well-behaved and to do what he was told.

The first family that had taken him in had been okay. They were an older couple – well-meaning, kind – but they had no idea what to do with a grieving eight year old. They'd pretty much left him alone, as long as he was quiet – which he was. He'd learned pretty early that the safest and best thing was to be invisible, to fade into the background and not be noticed. That way you couldn't get into trouble, and you wouldn't be sent away.

He stayed with the first couple for two years and then was moved to a family that had a number of foster kids. Again, because he was quiet and unassuming he'd been left alone. There'd been one kid – a teenager – who had decided to pick on the shy newbie. At first he'd teased, and then he'd bullied Daniel who had said little – until one day he'd decided he had had enough. It was the first time that anyone realized that just because he was quiet and shy, it didn't mean he was a pushover.

The boy hadn't teased him after that! In fact, after Daniel stood up for himself the other kids were very careful around him. Of course, the family who had him blamed him and soon he was moved again, this time to a family who had a boy of their own, and thought that getting a foster kid would give their son a 'companion'. Daniel snorted – yeah, it was kind of like getting a dog for your kid – at least that's the way they treated it and him.

It was soon obvious to everyone that Daniel and 'Bret' didn't have anything in common. The other boy was a jock – and a very stupid one at that. He was pretty sure that's where he'd gotten the aversion to the 'macho' man image and why he'd taken such a strong dislike to Jack at first. The Colonel had somehow reminded him of Bret. Like the Colonel he was handsome and good at sports, but unlike Jack, there was nothing else there. Daniel, on the other hand, hadn't developed yet, wore glasses and was totally not into sports. He was also very bright. The two boys hated each other almost instantly.

He lasted there for a year until he was sent away. He breathed a sigh of relief that he'd never have to see good old 'Bret' again. He sometimes wondered what had happened to the kid. He figured he was either in jail or working as a used car salesman.

The next placement was by far the best. He ended up living with an older woman – a widow. Her husband had died and her children were all gone so she decided to take in foster children. She left him alone, for the most part, but she also encouraged him in his studies. She herself liked to read and the two of them would sometimes sit, side by side on the couch, immersed in a book. Her name was Mary – and he had some quite fond memories of her.

It turned out that at a very young age Daniel had discovered the one thing that brought him comfort and some measure of safety, and that was books. He'd always been smart but after he lost his parents he took refuge in the written word. He would spend hours, all his spare time in fact, reading anything he could get his hands on.

As a result, he did well in school. He was well-behaved, quiet and studious, so the teachers liked him. The other kids – well, not so much. It wasn't that he was bullied, it was that he was pretty much ignored, which suited him fine – or at least he told himself.

In actual fact he craved companionship, friendship and love – but there was no one to offer it. Oh, Mary had been kind, but not much more than that. She had her kids and grandkids and they consumed her life. No, Daniel was alone, something he knew and expected out of life. It didn't mean he liked it.

It was actually in sixth grade that things really changed for him and it was as a result of one man, one teacher – Mr. McGowan. Mr. McGowan was his Social Studies teacher and had quickly recognized that in little Danny Jackson he had a student who craved knowledge and learning – and who had a brilliant mind.

The class that year studied Ancient Egypt – a subject Daniel found fascinating. They'd been given an assignment to go home and building a 'project' – some kind of model of Ancient Egypt. Of course all the other kids had parents to help them – to buy supplies and probably to work with them. On the day the projects were due, Daniel saw all sorts of wonderful models of the pyramids, of sphinxes and King Tuts. He looked down at his model and wanted to cry in shame.

He'd managed to cobble a few things together from Mary's basement. He'd taken old shoe boxes, paper and glue and had put together a Pharoah's tomb. He only had a few water colors and no fancy supplies, but he worked for hours, determined to do the best job he could. He'd found a book in the library on hieroglyphics and spent a long time carefully and accurately reproducing them on the 'walls' of his tomb.

He almost threw it in the garbage when he saw what the other kids had produced. He bit his lip and tried hard not to cry. He wanted to be able to tell everyone that he knew about Egypt, he'd been there, his parents had been experts – but he couldn't. All he could do was look at his pathetic model and know he was a failure.

"So, this is your model is it Daniel", Mr. McGowan leaned down and looked at the cardboard structure, a serious look on his face.

Daniel nodded, unable to speak. He wished, at that moment, for a closet to crawl in to. Davy Brice – the one with the perfect pyramid made from little bricks – looked at him and snickered.

"Well, you did an amazing job" Mr. McGowan said, looking closely at the tomb.

Daniel looked up at him, sure his teacher was being sarcastic and was going to tell him what a failure he was. Instead, the man kept examining his project, looking at it very intently.

"Did you do these hieroglyphics", his teacher asked.

He nodded, still unable to speak and unsure about what was happening.

"Amazing." The teacher stood up straight. "Daniel, you have a real gift. I've never seen a tomb done so accurately and so well. You didn't have any fancy supplies, and yet what you created is absolutely wonderful. You should be very proud of yourself – I know I am." He teacher then turned to the other kids. "I want you all to come and look at Daniel's project. He did an incredible job here and this shows you that it's not so important what materials you use, but what you put into it. He clearly worked on this very carefully and it shows! Well done Daniel."

The adult Daniel Jackson sometimes wondered if Mr. McGowan ever realized what that had meant to a young orphan boy. For the first time, since his parents died, someone had valued him, had told him he was worthwhile. It had meant everything and from that day forward Daniel had known what he wanted to do with his life.

He laughed softly to himself when he thought about his old teacher. He should look him up, find out where he was and what he was doing. He'd been a relatively young man at the time so he could still be teaching. He thought about Mr. McGowan, about the fact that it was because of that simple act, that simple bit of encouragement, that Daniel had gone on to become an expert in Ancient Egypt, to eventually figure out the stargate and to travel to other worlds, and to help save the planet.

It was people like his grade six Social Studies teacher who were the unsung heroes of this world, he thought. These were the people who _really_ made a difference, who inspired and created opportunity and dreams. He wished he could tell Mr. McGowan what the result of his words had been – that he, a middle school teacher – had been one of the people responsible for ultimately saving their world.

That year Daniel had won an academic achievement award – and won it each year after that. He was a star pupil, even a genius, the teachers had said. The world began to open up for him.

It was when he turned 16 that things changed. Mary had a heart attack and had to go into hospital. Her children informed the agency that they had to take Daniel back – she couldn't look after him anymore and they weren't interested in keeping him. It was at this point that he rebelled. He would not go to anymore foster families – he'd had enough.

As it was, everything turned out okay. He was accepted into university that year, at the age of 16 – and he never looked back. He moved into residence, where he stayed until he graduated with his PhD at the age of 22. Each summer he would work at the archives or the museum and live in the dorms. He didn't go anywhere for the holidays – except occasionally if he got invited by a friend. For the most part, however, he studied. The one bright light during this time was meeting Catharine Langford. She quickly became the mother he'd lost, the friend he'd rarely had, and the inspiration he craved. It was she, however, who led him down the path to his undoing in the academic world.

He had gotten a job straight out of college and things would have been fine, except for his determination to find the truth rather than accept standard theories. Catharine had taught him to look beyond the obvious – which he had done. The result? Once again he was an orphan – but this time in the academic community. He was laughed at, reviled and eventually fired. He had been sure that there was really nothing left for him, except maybe working at a small junior college somewhere, when he'd gotten a call from the Air Force.

Abydos! Who would have thought that he, little Daniel Jackson, orphan, would one day have travel the stars? And who would have possibly imagined that he'd meet a tough, hardened, suicidal soldier, who would become the best friend he'd ever had?

He'd detested Jack the first time he'd met him. He thought the Colonel stood for everything he hated – he was arrogant, macho, 'shoot first ask questions later', and intolerant of anything other than brute force. Or so he'd thought. By the end of the trip, however, he'd gotten a glimpse of the real Jack – a man tormented by grief and loss, a good man who tried to do the right thing in a crazy, harsh world. He met a man who was nothing if not loyal and honest – even though he could be a pain in the ass! He was also a lot smarter, a lot deeper, and a lot more compassionate than he appeared. Daniel had never met anyone quite like Jack O'Neill – and he was pretty sure that's because there wasn't anyone else _like_ him.

For the first time in his life he'd met someone who was willing to give up everything for him. His parents hadn't been willing – as much as they loved him he knew, even from a young age, that their work came first. The same was true with Nick. Oh, he'd forgiven the old man and had grown to love him, but he could never quite forgive him for abandoning him as a young child. Nick's obsession was too strong and more important than his young grandson. Certainly, none of the families he'd lived with had been that concerned about him. He'd been a way to get a bit of money, to appease a sense of guilt, to feel like they were doing 'good'. He, Daniel Jackson, hadn't really meant that much as a person.

But along came Jack and suddenly he _was_ important – important enough to die for. Jack would never know how much his friendship had meant – still meant - to Daniel. In fact, he would be embarrassed if he knew – but it meant the world.

And then, of course, there was Sha'are. She was the young bride he'd loved with his whole being. She was the one who made him whole, made him believe he was worthy of love. And he'd lost her too soon – just like he'd lost his parents too soon. He'd suffered, he'd grieved, he hadn't wanted to go on – but Jack had been there for him. Jack and Sam – and even Teal'c, although he didn't believe that at the time had all been there. Yes, his friends – his _true_ family were there, and he knew he could always count on them.

Tonight had brought all these thoughts and feelings rushing back. He thought again of that little boy, coming out into the room, crying his heart out over the loss of his parents. But unlike Daniel, who had had no one to hold him, to comfort him, Matt had had Jack O'Neill. He thought of how Jack had lifted him, held him, rocked him – and knew that that little boy, and his sisters, had been blessed by being taken in by this man. If there was anyone who would love them, comfort them and value them, it was Jack.

It would be a long time before these children would begin to live again, to be happy as children should be, but Daniel was confident it would happen. Oh, they would always grieve, always feel the loss, but they had Jack O'Neill to get them through.

"They don't know what a gift they've been given Jack, even in the midst of this tragedy", he said out loud, his voice carrying through the darkness of the night. With a soft smile Daniel turned and walked into his bedroom and quickly undressed and got in bed. He reached over and opened the drawer in his nightstand and pulled out the faded and worn picture that resided there. "Good night Mom and Dad", he said. "I love you." He carefully placed the picture back, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

Jack was sure he would fall asleep instantly after his team had left, but instead he laid there, thinking about the children and worrying about how to handle this change in his life. He wanted to help the kids but wasn't sure what to do. He was really afraid he was going to screw this up!

He eventually did fall asleep, and was well into the middle of a dream - it turned out that Santa was a Goa'uld – when he felt something land on his chest.

He started to come up fighting but fortunately something stopped him at the last second. Instead, he opened his eyes and peered into a mass of blond hair.

'Okay, he thought, if this my fantasy come true, that blond hair is attached to one Sam Carter.' After a close look (and to no surprise) he realized it couldn't be Sam – the body was too small.

He tried to tilt his head down and got a mouthful of that same blond hair. He did figure out, however, that it was Ali who had plopped herself down on top of him. He also realized she was sound asleep.

Well, this is interesting, he thought. He now he had a little human blanket! He reached up and gently touched her cheek and grimaced. She'd been crying if her wet cheeks were anything to go by. She must have needed comfort and so had found her way into his bedroom. Poor little baby, she must be missing her parents.

Knowing he couldn't bear to stick her back in her bed all by herself, he instead rearranged the covers until they were over top of them both. He didn't know if he'd be able to sleep, but as long as she could it would be okay.

The next thing he knew it was light in his bedroom and he was hot. The reason for that soon became obvious when he realized a small, warm body was squashed up against him. Ali was still out like a light – oh, the sleep of the innocent.

Jack realized something else just then. His chest was damp! He looked down and sighed – yup, Ali's diaper had leaked and he was wet, as were his sheets. Oh well – he supposed there were worse things in this world.

He got up out of bed and went quietly into the kids' room. Both Chloe and Matt were still sound asleep so he went into the third bedroom and collected a clean diaper and some clothes. He made a quick stop in the bathroom to get a warm, wet cloth. He'd have to buy some supplies later.

By the time he made it back, Ali was just starting to wake up. One second she was looking at him, the next she'd dissolved into tears and was calling 'Mommy' and 'Daddy', over and over again.

He quickly closed his door, hoping not to wake the other kids up and held her and rocked her. She tried to fling herself away from him but eventually calmed down, even though she continued to cry.

He spoke softly to her, trying to soothe her with his voice and by gently holding her. It didn't help, at least at first, but eventually she tired herself out. In the end she was making pathetic little crying sounds and hiccups, although the violent tears had stopped.

Oh God – what should he do, he wondered. The poor sweet baby – she needed something but he didn't know what. How could a rough old soldier help her through this? He continued to hold her and rock her, wishing desperately there'd been someone, anyone else to take these kids. He was not fit to handle grieving kids.

"Uncow" a little voice called.

"Huh?" he leaned back and looked into the tear-stained face. A minute ago he thought she'd never stop crying, now she was looking at him with complete trust and calling him 'uncow'. Other than 'up' that was the first word he'd heard her say.

"Yes, I'm Uncle Jack, Ali. Are you feeling better?"

She nodded and sniffed, but then reached out and grabbed the collar of his pajamas.

"Uncow Tzak!" she said, and smiled.

God – the resilience of children, he thought. "Yeah, that's right. Why don't I get you changed into your clothes and then we can go make breakfast for everyone, okay?" He figured she must be hungry!

"Pa'cakes?" she asked, "Bu-bewy pa'cakes?"

"Blueberry pancakes?" he asked, leaning back and looking at her with a smile.

She grinned and nodded. Oh, she was a sneaky little charmer, he decided, there and then. Just like another blond he knew!

"Okay then missy, let's get you dressed."

She shook her head and tried to jump down off his lap. It was a good thing he had quick reflexes because he was able to grab her and swing her back up. "Oh no you don't! You have to have those wet diapers changed."

"Ucky!" she said.

"Yes – well maybe then we'd better get you potty trained and out of those things. I'm sure both of us would be much happier never to see them again."

She giggled and then allowed him to lay her back on a towel on the bed and change her. He quickly dressed her in little pink pants and a t-shirt and they were ready to go.

"Okay miss – pancakes!" He swung her up in his arms and headed for the kitchen.

"Yeaah!" she squealed and bounced.

Once in the kitchen he placed her in her booster chair (thank you Dave, he said for the umpteenth time) and got the ingredients out for pancakes. He retrieved a banana from the bowl and cut it into small pieces for her to eat while he worked.

He had a stack of pancakes warming in the over when he heard a noise from the bedroom. "I think your brother and sister might be up", he informed her.

"Matt! Cwowee!" she called.

Jack took her out of her seat and then went to the bedroom to check. Sure enough, both kids were up, although neither of them was moving.

Matt looked a tiny bit more relaxed this morning, although still very solemn. The crying session last night had probably done him some good. Jack was still worried about Chloe though. She looked frozen on the bed and terrified that he'd come closer.

"Good morning guys! I hope you slept well. Ali and I have been up for a while and we've made blueberry pancakes so if you want them, you'd better come now!"

Matt stay still for a moment but then moved carefully off his bed. It wasn't until he went over to Chloe's, and held out his hand, that she got up off her bed and came. They walked over to Jack and then stopped, until he turned and moved back to the kitchen.

He wanted to sigh, knowing how hard this was for each of them. Still, they were responding to him and he knew he had to give it time.

Once everyone was seated he divvied up the pancakes and brought out some maple syrup, which he poured on carefully. He had managed to find Ali's bib, thank god, as he could have been looking at a maple syrup covered floor.

Matt and Ali both polished off a good portion of the pancakes and drank the milk he gave them. Chloe, on the other hand, only picked at her food.

He really didn't know what to do, so when the doorbell rang he breathed a sigh of relief. Carter! She'd know what to do. She was his genius.

"Carter!" he said when he opened the door. He didn't even wait for her to come in but reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hallway. "Finally!"

"Uh, it's just nine o'clock Sir. That's the time you told me to come over."

"I know, I know Carter – it's just – we really need you."

"Oh? What's wrong?" she looked at him, worried that something bad had happened.

"Both Matt and Ali seem not too bad this morning", he said softly, not wanting the kids to overhear. "It's Chloe – I'm pretty sure she's scared of me."

By the way he said it Sam knew that this fact really bothered the Colonel. Kids usually loved him and he didn't have much experience kids who shied away from him. Fortunately, he knew enough to back off, since that would only make Chloe retreat even more.

"I'll see what I can do Sir", she answered calmly, "although it might take a while. I expect she's not going to trust anyone for some time."

"Yeah", he put his fingers through his hair. "That's what I figure too. Still, it might be easier with you."

He led her into the kitchen, where the kids were just finishing up breakfast.

"Well don't you all look like you had blueberry pancakes", Sam said, noticing the dirty faces on all three kids. When she glanced back at Jack she had to laugh. She hadn't noticed it but he too had blueberry on his cheek. "I think everyone's going to need a bath!"

_That_ got a rise out of Matt and Chloe. They both looked at her with their eyes wide and seemed to want to protest.

"I'm just kidding", she said. "I think the only one who _really_ needs a bath is Jack!"

"Uncow Tzak is diwty!" Ali grinned. "He need a baff!"

"Huh! Everyone's ganging up on me", Jack said in mock anger. "Well, just because of that I _am_ going to go have a bath – or at least a shower. Sam, you're in charge!"

Sam was suddenly nervous beeing left with the three children. It's not that she hadn't looked after kids before – she'd often watched her nephew and niece when she visited San Diego and she had babysat Cassie – it's just that to deal with three of them – who were all grieving – was hard.

She got busy and cleaned the kitchen, all the while chatting to the kids. Ali attempted to chatter back to her but as her vocabulary was limited it was tough. The other two kids didn't really speak.

Jack came out twenty minutes later, still drying his hair with a towel. "You guys okay out here?" he wanted to know.

"We're fine Jack. I was thinking we might want to go for a walk and maybe to the park. It's a beautiful day and I could certainly use some sunlight and fresh air.

So the five of them had trucked out of the house and down the street towards the park. It was still deserted at this time of day and the kids made their way over and played for a while on the equipment.

Ali seemed to have the most fun, with Matt helping her on the adventure climber. Chloe went and sat on a swing and just moved slightly, back and forth. She didn't really even try and push herself.

"Maybe you can talk to her", Jack suggested. "She seems so frightened and lonely and I don't know what to do."

"I'll try", Sam frowned, "but I don't know how good I'll be at this. She probably needs professional help."

He nodded, knowing what she said was most likely true. Still – Sam had often made miracles.

Sam sat on the swing beside Chloe's. She noticed the little girl didn't even look at her. "Nice swings", she said. "When I was a little girl I _loved_ swings. I loved to go really fast and really high. Do you like that too?"

Chloe shrugged, but she wouldn't look or speak.

"I like the slide as well, although I used to think it was scary."

Another shrug – well at least she was communicating.

"So, what kind of things do you like to do?' Maybe the direct approach would work.

Nope – no response. Sam wasn't quite sure what to do next so she simply started to talk and to tell Chloe about herself. She told about her brother and his family, about her dad and that she worked with Colonel O'Neill – Uncle Jack. She finally glanced over at the little girl, who hadn't responded but who seemed to be listening. Maybe this was as good a time as any.

"I don't have a Mommy any more either", she said softly. "My Mommy was killed in a car accident when I was a little girl."

For the first time, Chloe raised her head and looked at Sam. He face was without expression, but she did look Sam in the eyes for a brief moment, and then she lowered them down again.

"I felt very sad when she died", Sam tried again. "I cried all the time. I still miss her but it's okay now – I'm doing lots of other things so I don't have to be sad all the time." Sam then proceeded to tell Chloe some of the things she and her mother used to do together.

By the time Sam was finished, her own eyes were swimming in tears. She didn't very often speak of her mother and it was harder than she'd thought it would be. She suspected too that being so near to Chloe and the others also made the memories more poignant.

"Hey you two", Jack shouted. "Are you going to live on those swings? Matt and Ali and I are hungry and want to head home."

"I guess they're calling us", Sam said, standing up off the swing. She waited for a moment until Chloe stood as well. "Let's go", she smiled at the child who continued to just stand quietly. She made sure Chloe was coming, and then turned and headed towards where Jack was standing with the other two kids.

"Okay?" he asked carefully.

She shrugged – what could she tell him. So far Chloe had barely responded.

Jack looked even more worried but nodded, knowing now wasn't the time to talk about this. Instead he gathered Matt and Ali and shepherded them out of the park and towards home.

They'd walked for approximately ten minutes and they still had another few to go before reaching Jack's. Sam was thinking about the kids and what the best way to get help would be. Just then she felt something and looked down. Chloe had reached out and touched her hand. Sam was pretty sure that the girl wanted to hold hands – but was too shy to simply go for it. So, Sam opened her hand and gently took Chloe's. The next thing she knew, a small, childish hand, was clutching on tightly to hers as if it would never let go.

Jack glanced back briefly and saw the two holding hands. He knew enough not to say anything but simply looked up, caught her eye and nodded. He then turned around and faced forward. He'd _known_ Carter would be good for her. Hell, Carter was his antidote for most things!

He lifted Ali up when she began to get tired and then reached out with his hand and took Matt's. The little boy tried to pull away, but when Jack looked at him and winked, he relaxed and seemed to enjoy the security and the closeness.

Yup, thought Jack, this isn't going to be easy – but already, feeling the small hand in his, and the arms wrapped around his neck – he knew this was going to be worth it – no matter what happened and no matter how hard it was. Hell, he had lots of love to give, three bright children to whom to give it – and he had Carter – at least as a friend. What more could he possibly want?

Well, there was _one_ thing he wanted, which he knew he couldn't have! He glanced again at Carter and sighed. Oh well, life was never perfect!


	5. Monkeys and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Sam watched as the children ate lunch, thinking about them and what they were going through. She wondered how the Colonel was going to cope. Looking after children was hard for any parent. Dealing with three kids who had just lost both their parents was unimaginable.

She glanced at Chloe and bit her lip. As soon as they'd arrived back at the house the little girl had dropped her hand and had scurried over to her brother. She noticed that Chloe kept glancing at both her and Jack, but couldn't tell what she was thinking.

She knew that the Colonel thought the girl was frightened of him, which may have been true although she suspected that Chloe was just taking her time, sizing up the man who now occupied the central place in her young life. If anything, she figured Chloe was nervous, but fascinated by the big man who called himself 'Uncle Jack'.

She next looked at Matt and felt herself relax a bit. His resemblance to the Colonel was still uncanny and when she'd found out he was in to airplanes, space and hockey she decided it must have been fate that brought the two together – either that or there was a strong genetic link to ice hockey and space!

Of all of them she was pretty sure that Ali was going to be the easiest to deal with. The little girl already trusted Jack and sought him out at any opportunity. She was clearly craving love and attention and fortunately Jack was the perfect person to give it.

Sam sighed briefly, her eyes following the Colonel as he went and got the milk for the kids. She wished she could be Ali, even if only for a little while, and go up to him and sit on his lap.

"What are you grinning about Major?" He looked at her suspiciously although she could see the humor in his eyes.

"Oh nothing Sir", she answered quickly, although she could feel herself flush. Stop thinking inappropriate thoughts about your commanding officer Sam, she told herself. Sitting in Jack O'Neill's lap was _definitely_ out of bounds, although it sounded like fun. "Just wondering if the kids might like to go to the zoo."

Colorado Springs had a wonderful zoo. The four of them, along with Cassie and Janet, had spent a day there a few years ago. Ostensibly, their reason for going had been to introduce Cas to an earth activity but if anything, Teal'c had been the one most amazed by the whole thing.

She met the Colonel's eyes and both of them grinned, remembering at the same time the reaction of their usually inscrutable Jaffa friend. At one point she'd thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He'd especially been amused by the baboons and the camels. Daniel had teased him incessantly – more even than the Colonel, which had been a surprise. She remembered the laugh they'd all had when Teal'c had suddenly announced that the meerkats reminded him of Daniel. To this day she couldn't get that picture out of her mind.

It had only been later, of course, that they'd realized why Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet. It had been the first time he'd been there since the loss of his son. He hadn't said much until they'd gotten to the tiger exhibit. He'd told her quietly that that had been one of Charlie's favorites – that and the reptiles. She remembered at the time wanting to reach out and hug him, but instead she'd simply touched his hand and had tried to show she understood.

Her thoughts were brought back to the present by the voice of one of the children. She turned in surprise. It was the first time she'd heard more than two words out of Matt.

"We like the zoo", he said. "I like the monkeys – they're funny - and Chloe likes the koala bears. Ali was too little to remember."

"I like monkeys too", the Colonel replied, "I agree that they're funny – until they throw – _you know what_ - at you!" He shivered, and Matt giggled, remembering what it was the monkeys liked to throw.

The boy leaned forward and whispered, "they throw _poo_ at you!"

"Yuck!" Jack made a face. "That's why I think Chloe has it right. Koalas are cute and never throw stuff at you."

"They're soft", a little voice replied.

Sam looked over at Chloe and smiled – this was the first time she saw Chloe really respond. Leave it to Jack!

"I know – I always wanted to pick one up and cuddle it", the Colonel answered gently. "Have you ever seen a koala baby?"

Chloe's eyes got big and she shook her head, and she continued to stare at Jack.

"Well, they're one of the cutest things you've ever seen! We'll have to check out whether or not there are any babies at the zoo – that is if you guys want to go?"

Two heads nodded quickly and Ali jumped out and down in her seat and said "zoo!"

"Well then, we'd better look into it. Maybe we can go this week."

Sam ended up staying the rest of the day. The kids didn't say too much after the 'zoo' conversation but they did appear a bit more relaxed. She couldn't say they were happy, but they played together and seemed to keep themselves amused.

That afternoon, while Ali was napping, there was a knock on the door. It turned out to be the rest of their things. Irving Layton had arranged for them to be sent quickly.

"I don't know where in heck I'm going to put all this stuff", Jack said, standing with his hands on his hips looking slightly lost. "I want them to have their stuff around – I think it will help – but I really don't have room."

"If you'd like I can help you do some rearranging Sir", she said. "I think if we move things around a bit we could make some more space."

"Yeah, I guess I can put some of my stuff in the basement. I really need a play room for them."

"They'll be fine Colonel. They need love and to know they're safe – that's more important than a play room – and you're good at providing both love and security."

He looked embarrassed but gave her a brief smile. "You know I'm not letting you go Carter, don't you?" As soon as the words left his mouth he seemed to realize how that had sounded. "I mean – you've been a lot of help with the kids and I appreciate it. They uh like having you around."

"I haven't done much Sir", she answered, feeling slightly breathless but knowing he hadn't really meant that the way it sounded. "I'm happy to help however I can."

"I know and it means a lot. I know – I know it's probably hard – I mean with your Mom and all."

"It's okay", she answered, and was surprised by the fact that it really was. She was just happy she could use her own personal tragedy to help others. "How about you Sir?" She knew how private the Colonel was about his son and didn't want to intrude, but this had to be extremely difficult for him as well.

He looked away from her and considered whether or not to make a quick comment or to really respond. He turned back and realized it wasn't fair to her not to answer honestly, not when she had been so good.

"Yeah, it's hard sometimes. I keep thinking –" he paused. "It brings back memories you know."

She nodded. "I know. I want you to know that if there's ever anything I can do -"

"There isn't", he answered, although he gave her a small smile to soften the words. "There's really nothing anyone can do, but I appreciate the thought. What you _can_ do however is help me move some furniture!"

She recognized he wanted to leave the subject so she followed his lead and kept the conversation light after that. They rearranged the furniture in the spare room and in Jack's living room. Dave and his wife had done a lot but Jack continued by moving more of his stuff downstairs and creating a little corner in his living room for the kids' toys.

That night, after Carter had left, he got the kids to bed. This time he got a soft 'good-night' from both Chloe and Matt. It wasn't much yet, but it was a big step and gave him hope.

That evening he called Janet and explained what had happened. They spent a long time talking and she gave him some invaluable information.

"Just be sure that they know you're not going to give them up no matter _what_ they do Colonel", she advised. "Once they've gotten over the initial shock and fear they'll begin to test you, to see whether you really are committed to keeping them. They won't know what they're doing, of course, but their world has just been destroyed and they have lost their sense of security. They are going to need to learn that they can trust you and that you won't leave them."

What she'd said made sense, although it made him realize even more that he needed to figure out what he was going to do about work. He could retire – he'd spent enough years in the Air Force to be eligible for a good pension. Still, he didn't feel ready to retire. He still felt like he had more to do, more to accomplish, more to discover.

He took a deep breath and knew that he had some serious thinking to do – unfortunately he didn't have time right now. There were still too many things to work out with the kids.

That week he worked hard to make them feel at home. He kept a routine but allowed for fun trips and time to play and learn about their new city. They'd begun to talk to him a bit more, although it was usually in response to questions and they didn't share anything about themselves. The only person to mention their mother and father was Ali – and she usually cried when she called for them.

Sam came over a few times to help, although he didn't want to rely on her too much as it wasn't fair to her. He also didn't want the kids to get so used to having her around that they'd suffer when she went back to work.

Daniel came over as well and fortunately the kids seemed to respond well to him. He was less sure than Sam about what to do around kids and at first had seemed almost as nervous as they were. On his second visit he'd brought some kids books and that seemed to be the key to them opening up to him. He ended up spending time reading to then on the couch and they were soon referring to him as 'Uncle Daniel'. By the end of the week they were on the best of terms with both him and Sam.

The strange thing was, they actually seemed more comfortable around Sam and Daniel than they did around him – except for Ali of course. He tried not to let it bother him but he really worried that they would never warm up to him. He didn't know what it was – he tried to be loving and kind, but both of the older kids seemed shy and hesitant around him.

"I don't know what to do Janet", he'd sighed one night while they were talking. "I've tried not to crowd them or frighten them, but they just don't seem to like me that much."

Janet could hear the fear and sorrow in Jack's voice. He was afraid the children were rejecting him – which would be hard for anyone, but must be especially difficult for a man who loved children as much as he did.

"Jack", she said – now was not the time to worry about rank, "the way they are reacting is completely normal. _You_ are the most important person in their lives right now and they know that and they're afraid. It's like I told you before, they need to build trust and to learn that you're there for them. I would be more worried if they treated you the way they're treating Daniel and Sam. They don't have a lot vested in their relationship with those two – they do with you. Just keep showing them you love them and they'll come around."

He hoped she was right but there were times it was tough. It wasn't that he would stop loving them for any reason but he wanted to be able to _show_ them he loved them. Still, they seemed to be accepting him a bit more each day and he guessed that's all he could expect.

They did end up going to the zoo – and the experience gave him hope that things could and would get better. He'd arranged for Sam to come with them. He'd invited Daniel but he was in the middle of a project and so had sent his apologies. Jack had gotten everything ready that night after the kids were in bed. He hadn't told them because he didn't want them to get over excited the day before.

"So – rise and shine everyone!" He walked into the room and had to smile when he saw the three little bodies all curled up in various positions, but all obviously sound asleep. Ali was sleeping on her tummy, her diapered bottom sticking up. Matt was lying on his back, arms outstretched and his mouth hanging open. Chloe – poor Chloe – she was curled up on her side and even in sleep looked like she wasn't relaxed. Well, maybe today would help her just a little.

"Come on sleepy heads! If you want to go to the zoo today you're gonna have to get up!" He laughed out loud when three pairs of eyes popped open and looked at him in wonder.

"Zoo?" Ali asked. "We goes to za zoo?"

"Yup – we're going to the zoo. Come on, everybody up and let's get dressed. Auntie Sam is coming with us and we don't want her to think we're all lazy bugs!"

"Wees not lazy bugs Uncow Tzak!" Ali frowned and shook her head at him. "You's silly."

He walked over to her little bed, leaned down and picked her up. He then gave her a gentle whisker rub, which caused her to squeal in delight. After he set her down he glanced at Chloe, to see her with a wistful expression on her face.

Oh Chloe, he thought, you need to let us love you! He wanted to reach out and pick her up too, but knew it was too soon. Instead he walked over and ruffled her hair. "Better get up miss", he said with a grin. "Auntie Sam will be here soon."

He took Ali with him and got her changed and dressed in his room. Just as he was combing her short curls the doorbell rang. "That must be-"

"Auntie Sam!" Ali ran away from him and down the hallway. She couldn't yet open the door but she stood there, looking at him as if to say 'well hurry up'!

"Mornin' Carter", he said as he opened the door. He was charmed to see his Major dressed for a day at the zoo. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt with a panda bear on it and a big floppy hat. "I see you've dressed appropriately", he grinned. He remembered that she'd picked up that shirt when they'd gone to the zoo the last time. He thought at the time that pandas didn't hold a candle to Carter for cuteness.

"Yes Sir", she grinned back. "Uh – what about you Sir?"

He looked down at himself and realized he was still wearing his morning sweats. "I've been getting this one ready, haven't I Ali?" he said to the little girl who was curled around his leg.

"Uncow Tzak dwessed me", she said.

"I did indeed! Carter, would you mind checking on Matt and Chloe while I change. I've got all the stuff ready to go and I'll load it in the car as soon as we're all ready."

Sam made her way to the children's bedroom, with Ali holding her hand. She smiled down at the tiny girl and thought how easy it was to love this little imp. She already had the Colonel wrapped around her finger, although she suspected it was mutual.

She knocked on the door, which opened after a second. Matt smiled and said hi, but when she looked beyond him she could see that Chloe looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment.

"What's wrong honey?" She went over to Chloe's bed and knelt down beside her.

"I can't do my hair", she said, her lip quivering. "My Mommy always did it for me. She would put pretty bows in it and told me I looked like a princess."

Sam suddenly worried that _she'd_ burst into tears. Poor baby! Still, it was the first time she'd even mentioned one of her parents.

"I bet you looked so pretty, and I'm sure you're Mommy was so proud to have such a wonderful daughter. My Mommy used to do my hair when I was little too."

"Who did it after your Mommy went to heaven?" Chloe asked, her voice sounding so lost.

"Well, I had a big brother – remember, I told you about Mark? Well he would sometimes help me and sometimes my Daddy would help."

"Uncle Jack doesn't know how to do my hair", she said, this time a bit more calmly.

"No? I guess he's never had to look after a little girl before. If you like I'll help you?" Sam held her breath, not sure how the girl would feel about this. After a few seconds she got a tiny nod, and Chloe held out her hand. In it was a hair band. Sam took it from her gently. "Do you have a brush?"

Once she had everything she needed Sam started to gently brush the little girl's hair. It was so soft and tangled easily so she was very careful, not wanting to hurt her.

"Uncle Jack pulled my hair", Chloe told her. "But he crossed his heart and said he'd never do it again!"

"Is that right?" Sam smiled, picturing Jack doing just that. "Well, he doesn't like to hurt anyone. He cares for people a lot."

Chloe didn't reply but Sam saw her give a small nod.

"He didn't hurt me the next time, but he doesn't know how to do a braid", she said, as if that was a shocking thing.

"No, but he's good at other things."

"He flies planes!" Matt interjected. "And he's got a telescope – a big one. He told me we'd go out one night and look at the stars. He also plays hockey and he said he'll take us to a hockey game, but Chloe doesn't like hockey and Ali's too little. I know how to skate and Chloe knows too so when it's winter Uncle Jack is going to take us to the rink and skate with us."

Whew – Sam hadn't heard so many words from the boy since she'd met him. She didn't make a big thing of it though, simply talking to him calmly and agreeing that that was wonderful. For the next few moments both of the children chatted away and most of the conversation revolved around 'Uncle Jack'.

"And he likes to swim", Chloe said. "He said he'd teach me how to dive off the diving board when I'm bigger, but that I have to be able to swim real good first. He says he can't dance" she giggled, picturing 'Uncle Jack' dancing, "but he's going to take me to dance lessons because he says I'll be a 'beautiful ballerina'."

"I'm sure you will", smiled Sam. "But you'll have to make sure and teach Uncle Jack. Don't you think he'd look cute in pink tights and ballet slippers?"

That, of course, had the kids rolling around laughing. It was so good to hear that, she thought. She knew the Colonel worried that the kids didn't like him but it was pretty obvious they were already learning to adore him. Well welcome to the Jack O'Neill fan club, she said to herself. It's an ever growing group of people who've been taken into the Colonel's tight circle of those he lo – cares for.

Finally, when the giggles subsided, she herded the children out towards the kitchen and quickly got them fed as Jack loaded up the truck. Fortunately he'd managed to get a car seat and booster seats – he'd sent Daniel to pick them up – so they were all ready to go. They all piled into the car and were off to the zoo.

"Sounded like you guys were having fun in there", he said quietly as they drove. He was happy that the children had let loose like that and had seemed to be having fun, but he also felt a bit sad. They never acted that way with him.

Sam seemed to sense how the Colonel was feeling. "Well, they were telling me all about their 'Uncle Jack', she said calmly. "You have a little fan club going there Sir."

"Huh?" He looked at her with a puzzled frown.

"Oh yeah, the whole conversation was 'Uncle Jack this', and 'Uncle Jack that'. I hear you're going to take Matt to a hockey game and get Chloe dance lessons."

"Uh yeah – I said those things to them but didn't get much reaction."

"Well I can tell you they're thrilled." She grinned. "Chloe and I decided we want to see you in ballet tights and shoes. I think a pink tutu might be nice as well Sir."

He glanced at her and his face relaxed. "I don't know Carter, I may just have to shoot you for suggesting such a thing."

"_Me_ Sir?" she laughed.

"Yes _you_ Carter. I know it was your idea."

"Well, you've got to admit it made the children laugh, which was nice."

"It was indeed Sam – thank you."

She knew he was thanking her for more than just the part about the ballet clothes – but also for letting him know that the kids really did care for him.

The first thing they did when they got to the zoo was to go see the monkeys and apes. They'd brought a stroller for Ali, as she'd get too tired walking around all day. They went up to the glass and spent a lot of time watching the antics of the various primates.

At one point one of the gorillas threw some garbage at them. He looked terribly crabby but his aim was good. The garbage landed directly on the window in front of Matt, who laughed uproariously. It wasn't 'poo' but it was close enough to make his day.

Sam started noticing that Jack kept checking his watch. At 10:30 he told them it was time to go see something else and he led them away from the gorilla enclosure towards another part of the zoo.

Sam suggested they stop and see a couple of things but the Colonel seemed intent on moving them along quickly. When she'd tried to slow him down he looked at her and winked.

"We gotta be somewhere at 11:00 Carter", was all he'd say, except that "it's a surprise."

It was when she saw the sign with an arrow that said 'Koalas', that she realized where they were going. She turned and gave her commanding officer a smile. God – what a special person he was.

They arrived at the building where the little marsupials were housed. Because of the weather in Colorado they were kept in a special enclosure with Eucalyptus trees. It felt like you were outside as there was clear glass all around and there was plenty of sunlight.

When Chloe realized where they were she got all excited and rushed up to Jack. "There's Koalas here Uncle Jack!" she cried. "We get to see real live koala bears!"

"Yup", he said. But when Sam and the kids started to head up towards the viewing platform Jack gently stopped them and steered them a different direction. Chloe looked at him with a concerned frown, suddenly frightened she wasn't going to get to see the koalas. He gave her a wink, just as he'd done with Carter. "Come on – we'll come back in a few minutes but I have a surprise."

She took his hand when he held it out and faithfully followed him towards a door over to the side. Sam followed with the stroller and Matt raced ahead to walk on Jack's other side. It was then that a woman, dressed in a zoo uniform, came out of the door and stood waiting, a smile on her face.

"Mr. O'Neill?" she asked.

"Yes hi", he said. He held up his hands, which were both holding a child, and grinned. "Sorry – but it's nice to meet you."

"You too", she smiled at him again and then turned to the children. "My name is Sandra and I work here at the zoo. I'm known as the 'Koala Keeper." She smiled. "And this must be Chloe and Matt", she looked over at the stroller, "and that's Ali?"

"That's right", agreed Jack. The children looked shocked that the lady knew who they were. Sam noticed that they both turned to Jack to find out what was going on.

"Well, I'd like to invite you to all come back with me. Normally people who visit can't come back here, but your Uncle said you were pretty special kids – and I have something pretty neat to show you."

By this time Sam was curious as well. They all followed Sandra through the door and arrived in the work area. This was where the keepers looked after the animals when they weren't on display.

Sandra walked over to a small tree and reached up and grabbed something. She then turned and walked back to the kids – and up to Chloe. In her arms was a tiny baby koala.

Chloe's eyes grew huge. "A baby", she whispered.

"That's right", Sandra smiled. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Can I?"

"Of course, just be gentle. Here hold out your hands." The 'Koala Keeper' placed the baby animal in Chloe's arms.

Sam was very certain that she was going to lose it any second now. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the wonder and joy on the little girl's face. She glanced over at Jack and saw that he too was looking pretty emotional.

For the next few minutes Chloe got to hold the koala as Sandra told her all about it. Eventually Matt got a chance as well and they let the others, including Ali, pet the baby animal. Sandra finally put it back and smiled down at the kids.

"There's one other thing you should know", she told them. "This baby didn't have a name, but all the workers here heard about you", she looked at Chloe, "and decided that we really liked your name. So, from now on this little girl's name is Chloe the koala and you are her official god-mother. Anytime you come to the zoo you can tell them that and you can see Chloe."

"Uncle Jack", Chloe said, "They named her after me!"

"That's cause you're pretty special", he replied.

She ran up to him and threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you", she said softly.

Well, that did it, thought Sam. The tears couldn't help but fall. She again looked at Jack only to see his eyes mist up as well. It was only the chatter of little Ali, who was feeling left out, that got her to wipe her eyes and turn her attention to the others.

As they were walking away from the Koala enclosure, to a spot to have their picnic lunch, Sam walked beside the Colonel.

"How did you do that Sir?" she asked.

"I called the other day and told them what had happened and asked if there were any baby koalas. They were really nice about it and arranged this for the kids."

She stopped suddenly, which caused the Colonel to stop and to look at her, his eyebrows raised. "What is it?" he asked, suddenly worried.

She put her hand on one of his arms and decided she didn't care if this was appropriate! She then leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "That was one of the nicest things I've ever see anyone do", she told him. "You're pretty special Jack." With that she turned and continued to walk with the children.


	6. Grief

_**I still can't tell you all how blown away I am by the quantity of lovely reviews I'm receiving for this story. The subject matter is obviously one that touches many people.**_

_**On that topic – just a couple of things: one – children's grief is very different from that of adults (and I have tried to be as realistic as possible in my portrayal). Children can be laughing and playing and acting like there's nothing wrong one moment and be thoroughly ripped apart by grief the next. This will go back and forth for a long time. Adults can sometimes think the children are 'over it' but loss of parents isn't something children ever 'get over'. They can learn to cope and go on and lead happy lives, but the loss will always be part of them. It is also typical for kids to act out and behave badly when experiencing grief. Again, they don't have the ability to express what they're feeling so it comes out in their behavior. **_

_**The second thing is the timing in my story. I am using artistic license to shorten the time it would normally take for children to bond to an adult who was now their guardian. I know it's probably not realistic (although there are people with a real gift for reaching children and bonding with them) but if I wrote in 'real time' the story would go on forever and get pretty boring! So, please take this with a grain of salt – it's just fiction after all!**_

_**Finally – the koala! That was pure fluff but I couldn't resist. I didn't say it in the story (I was going to but decided that the adults in the story wouldn't say anything to Chloe at this time) but the koala was an orphan, which is why she wasn't with her mother. I may bring this back later.**_

_**So on to the story…**_

He knew it was realistic to expect that a trip to the zoo would suddenly make everything better. What he hadn't expected was that it would things worse. Oh, he didn't really think it was the zoo, except inadvertently, that had caused today's meltdown. Still, he was almost wishing they hadn't gone.

The kids had all seemed happy enough, if exhausted, when they returned after their outing. This morning, however, things were completely different!

He knew things were off to a bad start when Ali had woken up in tears and had refused to be consoled. She'd cried for almost an hour, calling out for her Mommy and Daddy and refusing to have anything to do with him. He'd finally managed to get her dressed and then he put her on the couch with a sippy cup, her doll and turned on cartoons. He didn't like to leave her there but she seemed calmer than when he tried to hold her and he needed to see the other kids. He figured she needed some time as well and the cartoons seemed to occupy her and calm her down.

Chloe had retreated to her usual, silent self. She wouldn't say a word this morning and she refused to even look at Jack. She clutched her pink bear and sat on her bed, not moving. He finally had to leave her there, with a soft word that he was around if she needed him.

Of everyone, Matt was the most surprising. Although he'd often been quiet and solemn, he'd always been well-behaved. Well, today was a complete change from that! He was loud, disobedient and just plain naughty.

He talked back to Jack a few times until the Colonel told him sternly to stop. At that he stuck out his lip and pouted, but didn't say anything more. He then teased Ali until she cried and told Chloe she was 'stupid', also causing her to erupt in tears.

By that afternoon Jack was thoroughly exhausted. He'd managed to keep his temper and his patience, remembering Janet's words, but a few times it had been difficult. The problem was to know how much to let go and when to let the kids know their behavior was unacceptable.

Although he knew their behavior was as a result of all they were going through, he didn't want to act as if it was okay. He knew they needed the security of an adult who set limits. While still showing them love he also needed them to know that they couldn't do what they wanted and get away with it. In the long run that _wouldn't_ be the loving thing to do. Discipline, if done correctly, brought safety and security to children – it set limits and it was a protection for them.

He'd finally gotten Ali down for her nap, although it had been tough. She'd resisted, thrown a tantrum and had shied away from him as if he was going to hurt her. It took almost an hour but she finally succumbed to tiredness and fell asleep on the floor in the living room. He gently picked her up and put her to bed, praying she'd wake up happier.

He'd also managed to get Chloe somewhat settled. He'd set her up at the kitchen counter with paper and crayons and she was drawing picture after picture. He'd watched her for a few minutes and suddenly decided to check out art therapy for her. He knew it was often very valuable for children who didn't have the words to express their thoughts or feelings. He figured this was especially true of Chloe, who was a naturally shy and quiet child. Glancing at her pictures he was pretty sure she was quite talented and thought art might be a way to reach her.

He left her in the kitchen, a drink and snack within reach. He made his way to the living room and collapsed on the couch. He really didn't think he could handle too many days like today.

Things were finally peaceful and he felt himself relax slightly. It was only then that he realized he hadn't heard anything from Matt for a while. At first he wasn't concerned, as the little boy had always been careful and well-behaved. On that thought, however, followed another swiftly. He certainly hadn't been well-behaved today.

With a sigh Jack pushed himself up and decided to go and check to make sure Matt was doing okay. He headed to the bedroom, but when he peeked in he could see he wasn't there. He assumed he'd be in the other bedroom, where some of his toys were, but he found out quickly that he wasn't there either.

After checking the bathroom and the kitchen – in case he'd wandered in when Jack wasn't looking – he began to worry. Where could Matt be? He decided to check his bedroom and then he'd go downstairs. He really hoped the boy hadn't wandered outside.

At first, when he opened his door, he didn't think Matt was in his room. He went to close the door when he heard a soft sound. He pushed it open all the way and walked in.

"What the _hell!_" he practically shouted. He rushed up to where Matt was, sitting on the floor in front of his closet. "What are you doing in here!" he asked angrily. "What are you doing with my things?"

At first Matt had looked at him defiantly, but when he'd seen Jack's expression his had turned to one of fear. He slowly stood up and backed away.

It was that action that made Jack realize what he was doing and that he was terrifying the boy. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm down although it was hard. "Go to the living room Matt", he said softly, trying to be as calm as he could. "I'm going to clean up in here and then we're going to talk about what you've done, okay?"

Matt stared at him but then gave a quick nod and scurried away, keeping as much distance between himself and Jack as he could.

The Colonel laughed to himself, but it was a bitter sound. Now the kid was terrified of him. Could the day have gotten any worse?

He looked at the things lying on the floor in front of him and closed his eyes. His chest was tight and he really didn't know if he could handle this. He slowly knelt down and sat there for a few seconds, trying to gather his courage. He finally reached out and touched the first object – a baseball glove.

He kept this box of Charlie's things in his closet, high up on the shelf, back behind other stuff. For Matt to have found it he'd had to climb up on the chair that was now sitting there. He'd managed to reach the box and had obviously pulled it out, causing the contents to spill all over the floor.

Jack hadn't opened this box since Sara had given it to him. He'd been too afraid, too full of guilt. He'd opened it once and then had put it away. Oh, he always knew it was there, waiting for him, condemning him, but he hadn't had the courage to look.

There were some days he almost forgot it was in his closet – after long missions when he was too tired to think, or after occasionally consuming too much alcohol, not something he did very often any more. Those days were few however – most of the time he'd look over to where the box sat and remember what he'd lost.

He sat for a moment, stroking the soft leather of the glove, remembering how excited his son had been to get a real baseball glove. The two of them loved to play together and Charlie had frequently told him he was going to grow up and play in the World Series! Other days he would say he was going to be an astronaut or a pilot like his Dad.

He carefully set the glove down and reached out with a trembling hand to pick up another object. This was Charlie's medal for winning the grade three science fair. He chuckled softly to himself – it was ironic that his son had been so good in science. He figured he'd gotten it from Sara.

There were other things there – a picture he'd drawn for Jack for Father's Day one year, a little story he'd written about a naughty pig, and – oh God – the little stuffed tiger Jack had bought him when they'd gone to the zoo.

He held the tiger up to his face, imagining that he could still smell his son on the stuffed animal. He remembered Charlie laughing and talking about their trip, about how much he loved the tigers and the elephants.

"Charlie", he cried softly, wrapping his arms around his knees and putting his head on them. He still held on to the little tiger, not wanting to let it go.

"I'm sorry", a soft voice interrupted his grief and guilt.

He took a sobbing breath and tried to get control of himself. Matt didn't need to see him like this. "It's okay Matt, just go into the living room and I'll be right there." He couldn't look at him as he spoke, not wanting the boy to see him this upset.

"Who is Charlie?" the young boy asked.

Jack cleared his throat, wanting to yell at him to leave, to go away and let him be alone with his son's things. He knew he couldn't do that however, not to this child. "He was – my son", he said quietly, "my little boy."

"Where is he", Matt asked, his voice sounding closer.

"He's – he's dead", Jack said, deciding to be honest with the boy.

"Oh." There was silence for a minute. "Was he in a car accident?"

Jack made a small noise and desperately tried to hold on to his emotions. All this boy knew of death was that which was caused by traffic accidents. "No", he answered, swallowing convulsively, "but it was an accident. He – he hurt himself really badly and died."

"I'm sorry", Matt said, and this time he was right beside Jack. "I didn't mean to do it. I'll help clean them up." He knelt down and started to pick up some of the objects.

Jack wanted to shout at him, to tell him not to touch, that the things belonged to Charlie. Instead he bit his lip, knowing that to say those things would be devastating to the little boy who was here with him. He no longer had Charlie, but he did have the responsibility to care for this little guy, and his sisters, and he was damned if he was going to hurt another child, even if it was emotionally, rather than physically.

With a deep breath he straightened up and turned to look at Matt. He even managed to give a small smile. "Thank you", he said. He then reached out himself and began to pick up some of the fallen objects.

"Is that him?" Matt asked, holding out a picture.

Jack took it gingerly, afraid to look. When he glanced down he instantly recognized it as one of Charlie's school pictures.

It struck him then that Daniel and Teal'c and Sam had all been correct – for looking at him from the picture wasn't only his son, but the spitting image of little Matt. God, how hadn't he seen it? He could have been Charlie's brother. "Yeah, that's him", he answered. He turned the picture over. "He would have been about your age in this picture."

"Do you miss him?" Matt wanted to know.

"Yes, I miss him." God – no one would ever know how much.

"Do you – do you still feel sad? Do you still cry?" Matt was looking at him fearfully, afraid that he was asking things he shouldn't but desperate to know.

Jack quickly realized that this wasn't just childish curiosity but rather Matt's need for reassurance, for understanding. He wished he knew what the right answers were so he could help the boy, but he didn't. Instead he decided on the truth.

"Yes, I still feel sad, but not all the time", he answered softly. "I think when you love someone and then that person dies, there will always be a piece of you that's sad. But it's okay to be happy too because he wouldn't want you to feel sad all the time. I know my – I know Charlie would want me to be happy because he was a very happy boy. He would want me to remember all the good times we had together."

"Do you cry", Matt asked again.

Jack closed his eyes briefly and then opened them and looked at the child who was now his to love. "Yes, sometimes, although not so much anymore", he answered. "I usually cry on his birthday and on holidays when I miss him. It's okay to cry, you know", Jack continued. "It shows how much you love someone." He rather suspected the boy was worried that he shouldn't allow himself to cry, that crying was for babies.

"Is Charlie in heaven?"

Oh God – now what to say? He didn't know himself what to think, although he was sure that his son was out there, somewhere. Whether or not there was a heaven – he just didn't know. When the shot had taken his son his absolute faith had been shattered. A small part of him still believed, still hoped, and it was that that he drew upon now. "I know Charlie is up there", he said, "watching out for me and for his Mom. I know he still loves us and I'm sure he's happy. He'll keep looking after us and one day I'll be with him again."

Suddenly Matt's chin started to quiver and his eyes welled up. "I miss my Mommy and Daddy", he said, his voice cracking in anguish. "I don't want them to be in heaven. I want them to be here with me and Chloe and Ali. Why did they have to have an accident Uncle Jack? I don't want them to be dead!"

Jack's heart almost broke at the child's words – both because of Matt's anguish, but also because the little boy said so plainly what he felt about his son. He too wanted Charlie to be here. He didn't want his son to be dead either.

Looking at the lost and grieving boy in front of him, Jack knew, at that moment, that they'd been brought together for a purpose. Suddenly he _did_ believe in heaven – in a divine power, because he was sure someone or something had caused this moment to happen.

Jack opened his arms and said a soft "C'mere". The little, grieving boy launched himself into Jack's arms and held on for dear life. As Jack held him tightly in his arms, the tears falling from his eyes too, he knew that he was receiving as much as he was giving. For the first time, in a long time, he allowed his pain and grief full reign. He allowed the feelings to wash over him and consume him. Strangely, he was able to fully grieve because of the child in his arms. Somehow it gave him permission and freedom – and comfort.

He didn't know how long they sat there together but finally Jack realized that it was time to move. He felt tired, drained, spent – but also calm and at ease. It was as if he'd been cleansed – and a little child had helped. He straightened up and groaned – every muscle in his body felt like it had seized up.

He heard a soft 'hiccup' and then Matt lifted his head. "I'm sorry about Charlie's things Uncle Jack", he said again, obviously feeling guilty.

"That's okay Matt, although you know it's not right to go into someone's room or touch their things without their permission, right?"

Matt nodded and looked down. "I was feeling – mad", he explained. "I promise I won't do it again."

"I know you won't", Jack ruffled his hair, "Because if you do I'll have to hang you upside down and tickle your toes."

Matt gave a spurt of laughter and then reached out and gave Jack a big hug. He then jumped to his feet. "I'm hungry", he announced. "Can I have ice cream?"

Jack laughed and pushed himself – much more slowly – to his feet. "We'll see", he answered. He had to grin – the parent answer to any question they didn't know how to answer. He bent over and picked up the remaining few items and placed them in Charlie's box. He then carefully closed it and put it on the shelf – but this time he didn't hide it in back. Now was the time to open it out and not be fearful of the memories.

Jack reached out and took Matt's hand and the two of them went to check on the girls. "You know," Jack said, "Ice cream sounds pretty good. Let's see what your sisters think!"

By the time Ali woke up all three kids seemed somewhat better. Maybe they were just tired, thought Jack. Whatever the reason, he was glad that the moods of earlier had seemed to dissipate. By the time they all went to bed that night, things were much better. Jack knew, however, that this wasn't the end. He was pretty sure he could expect other days and times like today. Grief wasn't something that disappeared over night.

As he lay in bed that night he allowed himself to think about his son. For the first time in a long time he was able to think good thoughts and refuse to let the bad crowd in. Just before he was asleep he also thought about the Air Force and about what he was going to do in the future. He'd realized today how much those children needed an adult around to love and care for them. He knew he had to call George in the morning and arrange to speak with him. He had some decisions to make.

_**Okay – I'm going to try and move away from so much angst – and move into a couple more adventure plot lines I've been thinking of. For those wondering about the 'ship' - anyone who knows me knows I can't resist S/J! Other than hints about their 'feelings' for one another, I'm not delving into a relationship right away. That will come later.**_

_**Thanks again everyone and I hope you continue to enjoy.**_


	7. Baseball

_**My apologies for not posting for a couple of days. We were moving this weekend so I didn't get a chance to write. Unfortunately, I may be unable to do regular updates for the next few days (although I'll try). I have company and am swamped at work.**_

_**I wanted to say something about my portrayal of the foster mother – and foster parents in general. Thank you to 'Superlumps' for her thoughtful review and comments. I'm afraid my portrayal of the foster mom was again where I used some artistic license. I'm sure they would never put three grieving children into a home run by a mother like I wrote. I did want to give Jack a reason for taking them, however, so I made the character not so nice.**_

_**I also wanted to say that I have incredible respect and admiration to people who take in foster kids. These are generally pretty special people and I don't want to imply otherwise (I had a foster sister for a number of years and she and I became incredibly close). I do know, however, that there are foster parents out there who aren't so great – and, the foster system is one which needs to be desperately fixed. Just a small fact (because I work in this field) – up to 40% of foster kids become homeless when they reach adulthood! **_**40%! So I don't think we do a particularly good job in fostering children - although again, there are some amazing foster parents out there!**

**Thanks again Sugerlumps - for the review, but more importantly, for being a foster mom.**

"Thank you for coming Sir", Jack stepped back and invited the General in.

"No problem son", Hammond answered. "I've been wanting to meet this new family of yours anyway."

"Uncow Tzak!" A small body ran out into the hallway and hurled itself at Jack. The little one threw her arms around his legs and held on tight.

"Well Sir, you're going to meet one member right now", Jack grinned and reached down and lifted the little girl up. She immediately buried her head in his shoulder. "This is Ali, General, and she's a total imp!"

She lifted her head at that and frowned at him. "Ays not a imp, Uncow Tzak! Ays Ali."

"Oops, I guess I made a mistake! Ali, say hi to General Hammond." He turned her so she was facing the other man.

Ali leaned closer into Jack, but offered a shy smile to the General. "Hewo", she said softly.

"Well hello Ali", answered Hammond. "I'm very pleased to meet you." He grinned to see the little girl so obviously crazy about the Colonel. It never ceased to amaze him how quickly and completely children learned to trust O'Neill.

Just then another child ran into the hallway. This time it was a boy, older than his sister. He too ran directly up to Jack and started speaking.

"Uncle Jack, can you read Captain Underpants tonight? Chloe wants Junie B. Jones, but you read that last night."

"Matt, I have a guest here. It's polite to say hello before starting to talk."

Matt immediately quieted down and turned to General Hammond. "I'm sorry", he said softly, looking up at his Uncle Jack.

"That's okay Matt", Jack placed his hand briefly on the little boy's head. "I'd like to introduce you to General Hammond. The General is my commanding officer" he leaned down slightly and whispered, "that means he's my boss!"

Matt's eyes got big and he turned again to the General. He swallowed and then said a soft, "Hello Sir".

"Hello Matt. It's nice to meet you. I just met your sister Ali. So, you like Captain Underpants do you? My granddaughters like that as well."

Matt nodded, his eyes still big and not quite sure how to answer a real live general.

Jack laughed and invited the General in. "It's almost the kids' bedtime Sir, so I hope you don't mind if I go and read them a story and tuck them in. They're all bathed and ready so it shouldn't take long. I can offer you a drink in the meantime."

"That's fine Jack", the General sat on the couch and watched in amusement as the two children hung on the Colonel. "A beer would be good if you have one. I'm off duty for the day."

"Here you go General", Jack came back, still being trailed by the two kids. "Make yourself at home Sir. I won't be long." He handed the General his beer and then turned to take the kids to bed.

Hammond wondered where the third child was – a girl if he remembered correctly. He watched as the three of them headed down the hallway. He grinned when he heard Matt ask, in a loud whisper, "Is he a real-live General Uncle Jack?"

Jack answered in the affirmative which was immediately followed by Matt's "but he doesn't have any hair!"

Hammond couldn't help but laugh out loud at that, tickled by Matt's comment. He was pretty sure Jack would get a kick out of it as well. He'd have to share that one with a few of his buddies – although he'd probably never live it down.

By the time Jack returned from getting the children to bed, Hammond had finished his beer and was idly flipping through channels on the TV. When he saw his subordinate he turned it off. Jack had brought two more beers so he took one and sat back. "So Jack, what did you want to see me about?"

He'd received a call that day from his 2IC, asking if he could drop by on his way home from work. The Colonel had explained that he didn't yet feel comfortable leaving the kids with someone else and they couldn't go on to the base. Hammond had readily agreed, although he was rather worried about what it was Jack wanted to see him for.

"Sir, I've been thinking about what I should do, now that I have the kids", he said. "They really need to have me around, at least for now. They're going through so many changes, and still dealing with grief over their parents. I just don't feel comfortable leaving them with a caregiver on a full-time basis.

George wasn't surprised to hear the Colonel say these things. He'd half been expecting it, although he had hoped it wouldn't come to this. He really didn't want to lose O'Neill, who had turned out to be one of the best officers to have ever served under him.

"So, I was thinking that I'd like to take a leave over the summer, at least until the kids are back in school. I'll be able to spend time with them while they're off and hopefully they'll feel more comfortable around me – at least enough so that I can leave them during the day."

George could feel a surge of relief wash over him. He'd been expecting to have Jack tell him he was planning to resign and instead he'd simply asked for a couple of months off. "That shouldn't be a problem Colonel", he answered. "In fact, you're eligible for some parental leave anyway – and I expect you have enough leave accrued that you might not have to take any unpaid time at all. I think this is a good decision. It'll give you time to get things worked out before coming back to work."

"Thank you Sir – I appreciate it. It's still going to be hard getting child care in the fall but by then they should be more settled." There was a slight pause and then Jack began to speak again. "Sir, about my team -?"

"What about them Jack?" the General asked, although he had a fair notion.

"I'm uh just wondering what you'll do with them if I'm gone?"

"Good question", The General sighed. "I've been thinking about that", he looked up swiftly to a puzzled looking Jack. "I was pretty sure you'd want to take a bit more time with the kids. What do you think Colonel? I can split them up among some of the other teams – any of the team leaders would be more than happy to take any one of your folks. Or, I could leave SG1 intact and either get a temporary commander – or, if you think she's ready, put Major Carter in charge." Hammond looked at him closely, pretty sure what he was going to say. He could have made the decision himself, but felt it important for Jack to have a hand in the decision.

Jack knew what he should say. Carter was more than ready to lead the team – had been for a while in fact – but he was hesitant to say that. Oh, it wasn't that he thought she'd do a poor job – no, she'd be great. There were two things that were making him hesitate and both were bad reasons, reasons he couldn't repeat to anyone.

The first reason was that he was scared – scared that she, they would get hurt without him there to watch their six. He knew that was silly – arrogant even – Carter had saved his life as many time as he had hers. She was competent, no they were all competent and he had to learn to trust them and let go.

The second reason was really shameful, or so he believed. The fact was, he didn't want her to get her own command because he didn't want to lose her. He liked having her close, as part of his team. He liked the fact that he got to see her almost every day, that they could talk, and joke and commiserate with each other. To lose her was – almost unbearable. He couldn't ever have her the way he _really_ wanted to, so this was the next best thing.

He closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them and looked at the General. "She's ready", he said softly. "Carter deserves this. It'll look good on her record and prepare her for her own command."

Hammond nodded, not saying a thing, although he recognized how difficult that decision had been for the other man. But he also knew that Jack would always try and do the right thing when it came to his people, even if it meant his own loss. That is just who he was and why George did not want to lose him.

"That's the way I was leaning, Jack", the General answered, "but I'm glad to have it confirmed. Do you want to tell her? I assume you'll be seeing her soon."

"Uh – yeah. My team is coming over this Saturday for a picnic and I can tell her then."

"Good, good. It'll just be temporary Jack", Hammond said, trying to reassure the Colonel. "Soon you'll be back and things will go back to normal."

Jack agreed, although with little conviction in his voice. He was pretty sure things were never going to be the way they had been before. He laughed softly. Not that they had been normal to begin with, he thought. No, SG1 did not do normal.

Over the next couple of weeks things slowly started to improve. Both Ali and Matt seemed totally comfortable around him now. Oh, they still had moments when they were deeply affected by the loss of their parents, but now they both turned to Jack when they needed comfort and reassurance.

Jack and Matt had become the best of buddies. They spent time outdoors, tossing around a baseball, kicking a soccer ball and just generally having fun. Ali would sometimes try and join in, although she was too little to do much more than get in the way.

The two boys had found another passion – they started to build models of planes and spaceships. Matt was insatiably curious about anything to do with flight, and Jack found himself having to pull out all sorts of facts and stories that he thought long forgotten. At one point he'd gone and dug up some of his old books from his flight school days and began trying to explain things to the little boy. All in all, the two of them had a great time together.

Chloe was still of great concern. She sat quietly, read or painted, but never seemed to want to participate in anything. She barely spoke and spent a lot of time alone.

Jack was in despair, and had spent time talking with Janet and a number of other experts. In the end all he could really do was wait.

The children had been with him for about three weeks when he happened to walk into the living room and see Matt and Chloe standing, looking at the family picture he had of Sara, Charlie and himself. He watched as Matt bent over and whispered something to his sister. Her eyes got bit and she stared at the picture. Jack was sure she was about to cry and decided he'd better leave quickly, before they realized he was there. For some reason he didn't want to disturb the moment between the two siblings.

It was later on that afternoon, just after he'd put Ali down for her nap, when he decided to take a short break. He sat down on the couch and pulled out his _Sky and Telescope_ magazine. He hadn't yet had a chance to look at it.

He'd been reading for about ten minutes when he felt a small body sit down on the couch next to him. He lowered his magazine and was surprised to see it was Chloe.

She was sitting close to him, but not quite close enough to touch him. He saw that she had a paper in her hand, and figured it was one of her drawings.

"Hi Sweetheart", he said lightly, not wanting to scare her away. This was one of the few times he could remember her actively seeking him out. "Can I get something for you?"

She shook her head, but didn't answer. After a couple of seconds she glanced up at him and then immediately lowered her eyes. Still without speaking, she held out the piece of paper for him.

Raising his eyebrows he took the paper, wondering what this was about. He glanced down at it at the same moment she spoke.

"It's a present for you Uncle Jack", she whispered softly.

"For _me?" _he answered, sounding pleased. "That's nice of you Chloe, thank you." He looked down at the picture, trying to figure out what it was. He could tell there was a figure – he was pretty sure it was a boy at the bottom of the picture. Up in the corner were two other figures, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was supposed to be about. "Is this Matt?" he asked, pointing to the small figure.

She shook her head and pointed at the word written at the bottom. He squinted, having trouble reading it. Suddenly, however, the word became clear. It said _Charly_. The 'h' was backward, and she'd spelt it with a 'y' rather than an 'ie', but it was obvious that that's what it said. He could feel his throat tighten and looked again at the figure. It was then he could see that the boy had one really big hand and in it was a ball.

"Is this a baseball glove", he asked, finding it hard to speak.

She nodded and glanced at him shyly. "Matt said he liked baseball", she said, so quietly he almost couldn't hear.

"He did", he answered, "He loved it." He looked at the picture again and had to swallow or risk breaking down. He turned to her. "Oh Chloe", he said softly. "This is beautiful – thank you so much. I'll treasure this forever." He so wanted to reach out and hug her, but didn't want to frighten her.

"I'm sorry about Charlie, Uncle Jack", she said. "I'm sorry he had to go to heaven and that you are sad because he can't play baseball anymore. This is a picture of him in heaven and he's playing, see."

"I see", he gently touched the picture. "He's playing alright." He then glanced at the picture of the other two figures. "And who are these people?"

"That's my mommy and daddy", she answered. "They're in heaven too so maybe they're watching out for Charlie for you. They used to watch Matt play baseball."

That did it. His eyes filled with tears and he looked again at the picture. "I'm sure they're watching out for Charlie", he said quietly, loving the thought. "And that makes me feel happy. And you know what? I bet they're also watching out for you and Matt and Ali – even though you can't see them."

Her chin quivered and she looked up at Jack. "I miss them", she said. "I wish they were here."

"I know", he answered. "I miss Charlie too." He looked at her and could see the yearning and the fear in her eyes. What the hell, he thought, she needs to know she's loved. "C'mere", he said, opening his arms. She practically threw herself at him and then next thing he knew she was latched onto him like she'd never let go. She sobbed out all her fear and loneliness and grief – in the way of a child – but it was still heart-wrenching even so. No, he thought, it was even _more_ heart wrenching, because she didn't have the fancy words so it was basic and very raw grief.

He sat and held her for a long, long time – Matt peeked out at one point but headed back into his room. Jack could hear him stop Ali from coming into the living room. God – what amazing kids these were, he thought. Their parents had done a wonderful job. He suddenly wished he knew more about Terry-Lyn and her husband.

By the time Chloe was ready to sit up and stop crying, they were all starving. He decided it was a special night, so he ordered pizza for all of them. First though, he told Chloe to come with him and he got some tape and put her picture on his wall, right next to his bed. "If I ever get sad", he said, "I can look at this and know that Charlie is happy and that your mommy and daddy are watching him for me."

She nodded, seriously, and then reached for his hand. The two of them headed out to the other children. As they walked, Jack realized something – what he'd told Chloe was the truth – he was now able to believe that Charlie _was_ happy. He kind of suspected that Terry-Lyn and Ross _were _looking out for his son. "And don't worry", he'd looked up and whispered, "I'll look after your kids for you too."

That day was a turning point for Chloe. Oh, she was still quiet and shy, and still loved to paint, but she was no longer frightened of Jack. In fact, she loved to be with him, to take his hand and to sit on his lap. She often was silent, but it didn't matter – she still wanted to be with him.

He loved best the times when he'd be sitting down and she'd just come up and snuggle beside him. They didn't need words, these two. They both knew they shared something special and they were both content.

The summer moved along, with Jack and the kids getting to know each other. It was a strange time, full of fun and laughter, at the same time full of tears and grief. Jack knew the children were healing, a little bit at a time, but that they still had a long way to go. It wouldn't be easy, but at least they had each other.

He sat and listened to the children as they played, smiling at the sound of their voices. There was nothing like having children around, he thought. Even with all the work and worry, they bring such love and joy into life. He sat back and realized, not for the first time, how lucky he was to have had these three children come into his life. No matter what happened, he wouldn't change this for the world. He was happy his life had changed the way it had.

It was a good thing then, that he didn't know what was about to happen.


	8. Heartache

_**I continue to be humbled by the reviews I'm getting. Thank you all so much - they mean everything and are truly inspiring me to continue this as quickly as I can!**_

Jack had only had the children with him for a few days when he'd gotten the first call from the social worker. Irving Layton had contacted the authorities in Colorado Springs and had told them about the situation and his guardianship and so they had started the process almost immediately.

He was prepared for a tough slog through government bureaucracy, but he was actually quite pleasantly surprised at how easy everything had been – at least so far. He supposed that the agencies had much tougher cases to deal with where there were abused children, parents on drugs or other difficult issues.

He had a couple of interviews, where he'd gone over his history, his employment and lack of criminal background. He'd had to give references and a release for them to look at his financial records. The only sticking point had been when they'd asked him about Charlie.

The social worker who spoke to him had actually been quite kind about the whole thing, although she did tell him they'd have to check the records to confirm his story. He'd agreed without hesitation and had breathed a sigh of relief when it was all done. He'd expected much worse.

The kids had all had interviews, which had frightened them, although the agency handling the case had brought in a child psychologist who made sure it was done with a minimum amount of fuss and trauma. For a whole day after the interviews they'd stuck pretty close to him, but after that had seemed fine.

The one part that he'd found difficult was when they asked if they could contact Sara. He'd agreed, but asked that they let him call her first, as he hadn't yet told her about the kids. Again, the worker was kind and told him she'd wait until the following week to contact her.

"It's just routine", she'd told him. "It will only be a quick call and we'll disturb her as little as possible."

He thought about it after she'd left and worried that this was going to upset his ex-wife. He was pretty sure that they would ask about Charlie, and he hated what this might put her through. Knowing he owed it to her to explain in person, he called and asked his team if they'd come over and watch the kids. He then called Sara and asked if he could stop by for a few minutes.

"Of course Jack", she'd said, curiosity in her voice. "Uh, what's this about?"

"Nothing bad Sara, I promise. I just have to tell you something."

She'd agreed and on the Saturday morning – while all his 'kids' were in front of the TV watching cartoons, he headed over to her house.

"Come in", she reached out and gave him a quick hug. "Now tell me what this is about. I'm dying of curiosity."

They rarely saw each other anymore, but he and Sara had long ago resolved any issues they had. They still cared about each other – there had been too much between them, both good and bad, ever to lose the connection. Still, their lives had gone in different directions and they both found it easier not to try and stay in touch, except for the couple of times each year they visited Charlie's grave.

"Hi Sara", he smiled and followed her into the living room. He glanced around idly and noticed she'd redecorated. It was strange, but it no longer felt like the same house he'd lived in with her and Charlie. For the first time since he'd left he didn't feel a sense of home sickness when he walked in. "I didn't mean to be mysterious; it's just that I thought it was better to tell you in person." He then proceeded to explain about his cousin and the children and the fact that he was planning to become their legal guardian.

"They want to interview you, I guess to make sure I wasn't a wife beater or something. They told me it would be quick. I hope you don't mind?"

"Mind? Of course not Jack, I'm happy to talk to them." She grinned. "I'll be sure to tell them you only beat me occasionally!"

He grinned in response, although after a second his expression changed and he became serious. "Uh Sara – I'm afraid they might ask -"

"About Charlie", she interrupted calmly. "I expect they will. Don't worry, I don't mind. I'll tell them the truth, that it was just a horrible accident and that I don't blame you."

He looked at her closely. "You don't have to lie", he said softly.

She looked surprised at that and then frowned. "I'm not lying Jack. I really don't blame you – I haven't for a long time, surely you know that?" When he didn't answer she made a soft sound and moved over to sit beside him. "For heaven's sake, when are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours that it _was_ just an accident? You are the most obstinate man alive Jack O'Neill, and you're determined to keep beating _yourself_ up!"

He finally relaxed and grinned at her and put his arm around her. Pulling her towards him he gave her a quick kiss on the head and then let her go. "You know me too well Sara. And I am really glad you don't blame me – I -" He grimaced slightly, "I don't know why you're so forgiving, but I'm glad you are."

She sighed – "I don't have anything to forgive, at least not about that. So", she said, changing the subject, "what's it like having three kids underfoot?"

He stayed for the next half hour, talking about the kids and the changes in his life. She laughed with him and then sympathized when he told her about the difficulties he faced. She felt badly for what the children were going through but told him that he was the perfect person to take them. She knew what a wonderful father he'd been and how great he was with kids.

Long after he'd left, Sara stood and looked out the window. It was times like these that she felt the return of the pain of her loss. It wasn't just losing Charlie that had left a hole in her heart – it was losing Jack. She sighed and headed back into her house, feeling sadder than she'd felt in a long time.

The last thing Jack had to go through before getting the guardianship was confirmed was a home visit. He knew he had to put Matt into his own room as they'd never allow for the three kids being together. He was a little worried that he and his sisters would find it hard to split up, but it turned out better than he'd hoped. He gathered them all together and explained that Matt needed his own room and he'd have to move. When he'd told the kids that they would decorate each of their rooms, they accepted it quite well.

He got his team to come over again, to help with painting and decorating, and soon both rooms were more appropriate for young children. He sighed dramatically when he looked at the pink and frilly room that now belonged to the girls.

"Looks good Jack", Daniel grinned. "Pink suits you."

"Bugger off Jackson", he'd replied quietly, so the children wouldn't hear. He looked again at the room and groaned. "Pink! God, have you ever seen so much of it?"

"No, but the girls love it and it suits them." Daniel grinned again. "And I think the ballerina theme is perfect for you. Sam told me about the kids wanting to see you in a pink tutu."

"Kids? That was Carter!" he answered in disgust. "She's incited them into complete insubordination!"

"Uh, I somehow don't think the military is going to do too much about 'incitement to tutu' Jack."

"Well they should", he growled. "Those kids – and Carter - are definitely a danger."

In the end the girls were thrilled with the pink walls and frilly bedcovers. Sam had helped picked out the decorations and they all spent hours hanging things on the walls and buying little pillows and child-appropriate ornaments.

"Carter, how could you?" he asked her that evening after the kids were all in bed asleep. "This is my _house_. How am I to live with all that -" he had trouble getting the word out.

"All that?" she asked with an impish grin.

"Pink, Carter, Pink."

"Believe me Sir, in a few years you'll look back on this fondly."

"In a few years?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh yeah – when they decide to go Goth instead."

Matt's room had been much easier, at least for him. They'd naturally gone with a space theme, much like he'd had at his house in Grand Rapids. The only difference was that Jack put up glow in the dark stars on the ceiling and posters on the walls. He then helped by hanging models and putting up pictures.

"Sir, those are actual constellations", Sam said, looking up at the ceiling.

"So?" he'd asked.

"You put the stars up in the shape of real constellations", she said again, sounding surprised.

"What's your point Carter?" he asked with a frown. He glanced up, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

"Nothing Colonel. It's just – you got them all right."

"Hey, don't sound so surprised", he said. "I do know something about the stars you know. I don't have that telescope up there for decoration!"

She smiled, looking quite pleased with him, which warmed him to his toes. He might just decide to sneak into her house and put up constellations all over her ceilings, just to get this kind of reaction from her again.

By the time the social worker came to do the home visit, both rooms were done and fixed up just right for small kids. He'd made sure the rest of the house was kid-proofed and all set up for children. He just hoped they didn't find anything amiss.

"It looks good Colonel", the social worker, Miss Adams, said. "We have everything we need now. All the reports will go to the office and be compiled into a final report. If everything checks out our office will make a recommendation to the judge who will make the final decision on the guardianship."

"And after that?" he asked.

"That's it. Once you're their guardian the state won't be involved anymore. They'll be yours."

He nodded, glad to have the whole process finished, but relieved it had gone well. "How long until I hear?" he asked, knowing the waiting would be difficult.

"It usually only takes 30 days or so, unless things are backed up. I'm not allowed to say anything officially, but everything looks really good so I wouldn't worry."

After thanking her and saying goodbye, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped she was right and that it would go smoothly. He then turned around to see three expectant faces looking at him.

"What?" he said, worried that he'd forgotten something important.

"When is Uncle Teal'c coming over?" Matt asked. The girls nodded, also anxious to see their friend.

Jack had been nervous about bringing Teal'c over the first time, worried that the kids would find him frightening. He knew he couldn't keep him away for very long however, it just wouldn't be fair to the big man who was such a good friend. So, he'd sat the three kids down and explained about Teal'c.

"He may _look_ scary", he said, "but he's really not. He's just a big teddy bear." He told them that Teal'c was from a foreign country and may talk and act a bit differently, but that he was a good man who loved kids.

He'd thought about telling the kids his earth-name 'Murray', but decided against it, knowing he couldn't maintain that fiction over a long period. He'd mess up and that would just confuse things. The kids were young enough that they wouldn't care about his name – it would quickly seem normal.

In the end he needed have worried at all. Not only weren't the kids afraid of his alien friend, they fell in love with him almost instantly. Kids and dogs, he thought, affectionately – they always seem to know when they can trust someone.

Ali had taken one look at the big man and demanded to be picked 'up'. She touched the tattoo on his head and giggled. From that day on she'd seen Teal'c as her personal playmate and 'Jungle Jim'. She loved to hold his hands, walk up his legs and flip over. She also loved being carried on his shoulders, seeing the world from a whole new vantage point.

Matt loved to wrestle with Teal'c, who carefully taught him a few simple moves. He was incredibly gentle with the little boy, who liked to pin him to the ground (or so he thought) and try and tickle him. Jack had gotten a kick out of seeing Teal'c lose it when Matt actually _did_ find a ticklish spot. He didn't remember ever hearing Teal'c laugh quite that loudly before.

Sam loved watching the kids interact with Teal'c as well, the sight of the huge man playing gently with the small children was incredibly heartwarming. Her favorite memory however, involved all three of the male members of her team. The Colonel had invited them all over but she'd had to come a little late after running some errands. She'd let herself in and had followed the voices to the girls' room. She'd waved to Matt who was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

She walked into the room only to see Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all sitting at the girl's little table. Each of the men was holding a teeny tiny teacup in his hand, and was pretending to have a tea party with Ali and Chloe. All three of them sat on the little wooden chairs, their knees practically touching their chins, and were looking very serious about the whole thing.

Sam had taken one look and quietly retreated. She ran and got her purse and pulled out her camera, which she'd started to bring over to the house when she came. She loved capturing pictures of the kids. Today, she grinned, she was going to get great one – and it wasn't going to be of the children!

Jack heard the click of the camera and looked up, the teacup raised to his mouth, to see a grinning Carter standing and looking at them. He glanced around at the others and suddenly realized what a picture this must paint. Oh God – if the jarheads ever got a hold of this one … !

"Carter", he warned.

"What Sir?" she asked, her grin widening.

"Give me that camera!"

"Uh – no Sir." she answered with a giggle.

"_Carter!_ You know that if you ever show that to anyone -"

"- we'll have to shoot you Sam", Daniel complete Jack's sentence. He too was looking worried.

"Indeed", added Teal'c. "You must not show that to anyone."

"Why not?" Chloe's young voice asked in curiosity. "It's a _nice_ tea party."

Jack looked startled, and then contrite. "Of course it is Chloe. It's the very best tea party I've ever been to. Isn't that right guys?"

"Absolutely Jack", Daniel agreed. "It's a great party Chloe, Ali. I appreciate being invited."

"It is an excellent tea party young Miss Chloe, Miss Ali", Teal'c answered. "I am honored to have been asked to attend."

That seemed to make the girls happy and they continued with their game. Every once in a while, when neither girl was looking, the men would send Sam a dirty look. She just laughed and continued to snap pictures.

That evening she caught Jack trying to open her purse to get her camera. "Uh uh Sir, hands off!" She took the purse from him and pulled out the camera to make sure he couldn't get it.

"_Carter_" he whined. "You're not really going to keep those pictures are you?"

"Of course I am Colonel", she grinned a devilish grin. "You've always told me it's good to have something on everyone. These pictures may come in handy one day."

"You're not planning on _blackmailing_ me Carter?" he looked at her, shocked – or at least pretending to be.

"No Sir", she paused, "At least not right now!"

He'd lunged for her then, trying to wrest the camera from her. She shrieked and ran away – something he'd never seen Carter do before. With a grin he gave chase and soon the children were in on it as well. Daniel and Teal'c sat back, out of the way, enjoying the sight of their commanding officer trying to get to Carter, while three young children latched on to him and tried to keep him away.

Eventually he gave up, although not before declaring that it was unfair. "That was four against one!" he cried. "Carter, you should be ashamed, hiding behind three young kids."

She'd simply grinned at him. "Use whatever you have available Sir", she answered, "My commanding officer taught me that."

"And which one of your brilliant commanding officers said _that_?" he'd asked, sarcastically.

"Why you did Sir?" she'd answered.

"Hoist with my own petard!" He groaned. After a second he finally broken out in a grin of his own, and then swung Ali up high. "So squirt, where were you when I needed you? I thought you were on Uncle Jack's side, instead you aided and abetted the enemy!"

"No emeny! Ays hewped Auntie Sam", she cried. For that she got a tickle and squealed in delight.

Once everyone had settled down, Jack ordered Chinese food and they all feasted, starved after their activities. Jack looked around the table and couldn't help but smile. This was definitely the life.

As things settled down on the home front, Jack couldn't help but think about his team. Although they came over on weekends, and when they could, he found that he was missing them. It was different then being with them all the time, and in their absence he worried.

Oh, they'd done just fine without him, as he knew they would. Daniel and Teal'c and Hammondhad all reported that Sam was doing extremely well and was a fine commander. It was funny, but part of him was thrilled – at the same time that a part of him was upset. He _wanted_ her to do well, of course, but at the same time he wanted them to miss him, even if just a bit. Anytime they came over, however, they seemed to act as if everything was great.

The truth was, of course, his team did miss him – terribly. As much as Sam liked the opportunity to prove herself, it just wasn't the same without J – the Colonel. It felt like they were missing a vital part of their team and no matter how well things went, their missions just didn't have the same feel to them. They all missed his humor (most of the time), his ability to size up a situation almost instantly, and his unorthodox and usually successful ways of dealing with things. No, they did okay without him, they just didn't like it.

They didn't want to tell him this, of course. They didn't want to worry him, or to make him feel guilty for taking the summer off. So, they'd decided to let him think everything was great, so he could simply relax and enjoy the kids and not worry about his team.

"Maybe I _should_ retire", he thought one evening after they'd left. They were headed out on a three day mission and he knew it was going to be hard to think of them on a new alien planet without him there to watch out for them. He laughed softly then. "What am I thinking? They'll do just fine without me." He sighed. "Maybe now is the time to quit and let the younger ones take over."

It was Saturday afternoon and the kids were excited about his team coming over. All of them were favorites of the kids and they loved it when they spent time at the house. In fact, the kids had started to refer to 'their team' when talking about the rest of SG1. He found it endearing.

In a funny way, each of his three friends filled a need in the children. Daniel was a mentor, a teacher and they loved to learn new things from him. Teal'c, as much as they liked to wrestle with him, was a calming influence. He brought added safety and steadiness to their young lives. They knew nothing could hurt them with Teal'c around.

Sam – well she was very simply a mother figure to them. He could see it in the way all of them interacted with her. Little Ali loved to cuddle with her and play dolls and other games. Chloe – Chloe grew more and more attached each day. She actually became quite chatty when Sam was around, telling her all the silly things the other kids (including Uncle Jack) did. She also loved to have Sam help do her hair and help her pick clothes.

Even Matt turned to Sam for the gentle, loving 'mother's' touch he needed. He too would occasionally cuddle, although he'd then get embarrassed. Sam knew exactly when to let him go and when he needed to be hugged and held.

Jack loved to watch the kids with her but he also worried. He was afraid they were going to get too attached to her and then one day she'd be gone. He wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

He blew out a breath and laughed. "It's not as if _you've_ become too attached O'Neill", he told himself. "What are you going to do when she gets transferred or when – or when she finds a man to love?" He stood up suddenly, not wanting to think about it anymore. It was what it was.

So, here they were, waiting for his team. He knew they were supposed to have gotten back late that morning, but he hadn't heard anything from them. He figured they had a long briefing and then would be over soon.

When 1900 hours came and went without anything he was really getting worried. The kids were unhappy, as they had to go to bed in half an hour and they hadn't seen their friends. He eventually got them settled and read them a story, promising that he'd talk to Teal'c and Daniel and Sam in the morning.

"They're probably really tired", he told them. "They have to work really hard and they are probably tired. Now it's time for both of you to go to sleep", he told Chloe and Ali. He reached down and gave them each a kiss. He then made his way to Matt's room and told the boy much the same thing. He then kissed him as well and turned out the light.

The first thing he did when the kids were down was call the SGC. He wanted to know what was going on. The phone was finally answered by a desk sergeant who couldn't tell him a thing.

"Is General Hammond there?" he asked, assuming that the General would have gone home for the day.

"Hammond here", he heard almost immediately.

"General, O'Neill here. I was calling about my -"

" - your team. Yes Jack, I know. Look, we don't know anything as of yet, but they didn't return at their scheduled time. You know as well as I do that SG1 is often quite late getting back from missions so I'm sure it's fine. I'll let you know as soon as we know anything, okay?"

"Okay Sir", he promised, setting down the phone softly.

He spent the rest of the night just sitting there, waiting for something, anything from the SGC. The children woke up early – of course – and he got them breakfast and settled them in front of the TV to watch cartoons. He couldn't handle trying to amuse them this morning. As it was he had to watch out that he wasn't short with them.

It was almost noon before the phone rang and he practically leapt for it as soon as it sounded.

"O'Neill", he answered. God, please let them be okay!

"Jack", Hammond's voice came over the phone. "They've just arrived back. They're a bit bruised and battered but they're okay. There was a major rain storm and they got caught in a mini landslide. They decided to lay low for awhile until the weather cleared."

Thank God! he said to himself. Out loud he simply gave a sigh. "Thanks for letting me know Sir." He spent the rest of the day recuperating from the tension and lack of sleep. For the first time he really appreciated all that he'd put Sara through. He wondered how she'd been able to cope.

His team came over that evening and although they were exhausted, they were able to get up enough energy so the kids didn't realize what had happened, although Ali asked about their 'boo boos'. Jack still found himself panicking every once in a while, before he remembered that they were back.

He really didn't know how he was going to handle this! Maybe retirement wasn't such a good idea after all.

It was a couple of nights later when he received a phone call from Irving Layton. "Layton, how are things going?"

He listened for the next few moments about everything that was going on in Grand Rapids around the children. The estate was about to be cleared, which would mean the house and possessions would be turned over to the children – or to their guardian. Layton then went on to tell him some surprising news: Terry-Lyn and Ross had taken out insurance worth a million dollars. Jack whistled, grateful that they'd at least thought of that, even if they hadn't done their will. The money would be set aside and made available when they turned eighteen.

That wasn't the end of the news however. What the lawyer told him next almost made him sit down in shock. It turned out that Terry-Lyn and Ross had been killed when a wheel flew off a transport truck and hit their car. The truck had been immediately towed and impounded and it was only now that they found out what exactly had happened.

"Forensics said the wheel hadn't been serviced properly and was a disaster waiting to happen", Layton continued. "It's a major trucking firm and I think they're afraid of bad publicity and probably even more concerned about a major law suit. Something like this will bring out all sorts of people making claims, which would kill the company", he said. He paused briefly and then continued. "So, they've made you an offer."

"Me?" Jack asked.

"Well, technically the children, although as their guardian you would have the right to decide whether or not to accept it. They've offered $10 Million dollars to the children, which will be kept in trust until they're old enough. I usually suggest that the money is held until they're at least 25."

"Ten _million?_" Jack asked, astounded.

"Oh yeah. They probably figure you could get more from the courts, although it would take a lot of time and effort. There offer is pretty good, although it's up to you to decide. I suspect you could get a couple of million more if you went back to them. Oh, and there's one other thing. They're also offering an annual stipend for the caregiver – of about $150,000 . That would go to you.

"To _me_? I can look after them on my salary", he answered, confused.

"I know you can Jack, but I would suggest you take it. Look, the kids have lost their parents and nothing can compensate for that, but this money will enable you to provide for them nicely. Surely they deserve something after what they've lost?"

Jack thought for a second and then agreed, although he determined to put most of the money aside. Still, it would enable him to provide some nice things for the kids.

After hanging up the phone he did sit down, quite overwhelmed with everything. This was good, he thought. Layton was right – they did deserve something and this money would ensure they could go to college and would give them each some money to start their lives. For once things seemed to be going well.

It was only a few days later that that changed. He got another call from the lawyer, and could instantly tell, from his voice, that something was wrong.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Jack, I have some bad news", Layton said without preamble. "I just heard that someone has stepped forward claiming to be Ross Benton's brother. He's demanding guardianship of the three children. He presented his case to a judge, who agreed that he has a better claim. The judge has said that guardianship should be given to this man – Ronald Benton - and his wife. He's given you one week to get everything together and then Benton is coming to pick up the children."

How is it, thought Jack as he hung up the phone, that a person could have his heart ripped out twice in one lifetime?


	9. Keeping it Simple

_**Kind of short tonight folks – and not much excitement but it needs some background. No 'tear-drop' warning on this one (or maybe only a half a tear drop)**_

"Uncle Jack is sick", Chloe told Sam and Daniel when she opened the door to let them in.

"He's sick?" Daniel looked in surprise at the little girl and then at Sam. "What's wrong with him?"

"He says he has a tummy ache", she explained, looking slightly worried. "He's in his bedroom. Ali is napping and me and Matt are building legos."

The two friends and team members walked into the hallway and through to the living room. Matt looked up at them from his place on the floor and grinned. "Hi Uncle Danny, Auntie Sam."

They both smiled and said hi and spoke to the little boy. Chloe stuck by Sam, reaching out and taking her hand. Sam glanced down and realized that the little girl was frightened. She knelt down beside her. "Would you like Uncle Danny to check on Uncle Jack?"

Chloe nodded, clearly relieved that they were here and could deal with whatever was wrong.

"Why don't you go see how he's doing" Sam told Daniel. "Maybe he has a touch of the flu or something. I'll watch the kids."

Daniel agreed and headed down the hallway to Jack's room. He knocked softly on the door, but when there was no answer he quietly turned the door knob and entered.

He had expected the other man to be lying down, but instead he was sitting on the side of his bed, his arms hanging down between his legs and his head bent. He didn't look up when Daniel walked in, which made the younger man nervous. Something was clearly wrong, and he doubted whether it was a stomach ache.

"Jack?" he said softly. The other man didn't move. Daniel took a couple of steps forward. "Jack, are you okay?"

The Colonel slowly lifted his head, almost as if it were too much of an effort, and looked at Daniel.

Daniel wanted to curse. What the hell had happened? He hadn't seen this expression on his friend's face since that first trip to Abydos. This was something serious. He approached carefully and squatted down in front of Jack. "What is it Jack?" he asked gently. "What's wrong?"

It took a few seconds but the Colonel's eyes sharpened and it was suddenly as if he realized someone was there. "Daniel?" he asked, sounding dazed.

"Yes Jack, it's me. Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Jack slowly straightened up and took a deep breath. "What are you doing here", he said, not answering the other man's question.

"Sam and I came for a visit. We got a call saying the SGC is under 24 hour quarantine because of a bug someone brought back, so we were told to stay away. We thought we'd come over and visit you guys. When we got here Chloe said you had a stomach ache so I came to see how you were."

When there was no answer Daniel continued softly. "It's not a stomach ache, is it? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Jack took another deep breath and briefly closed his eyes.

Daniel was sure he'd get the usual 'nothing's wrong', and was about to ask again, when Jack began to speak.

"They're taking the children Daniel", he said, his voice flat, as if he couldn't get the energy to even allow any emotion to show. "I don't know how to tell them that they're being taken away."

"What? What do you mean they're taking them away? I thought everything was fine. The social worked seemed to indicate they were happy with you and the set up here?"

"Ross had a brother", he said, again with no emotion. "He wants the children and the judge agreed. He's coming to get them at the end of the week."

"Oh God Jack, I'm sorry." Daniel stood slowly and sat down on the bed beside his friend. He reached out and put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "This isn't fair", he said finally. "I wish – God, I wish there was something I could do."

Jack laughed softly. "You could tell me how the hell I'm supposed to tell the kids. They were just starting to feel settled, to feel safe and this is going to - to God, I don't know what it'll do to them." He sat for a few more seconds. "What will Chloe do? She's so tender, so gentle – I can't imagine how she's going to handle it. And Ali – she is so great, she's such a little trooper but it'll be hard on her too. And Matt – what if his uncle doesn't know anything about planes or hockey? Who's going to finish the model with him? I even bought seasons tickets for the games and now he can't go with me."

Daniel bit his lip, hearing the anguish in the other man's voice, but not knowing how to help. And the fact was, he felt almost as bad as Jack. The three kids had quickly wormed their way into all of their hearts – they were part of their 'team' now too, and were going to leave a terrible hole. He was pretty sure that this would just about destroy his friend. Jack had opened himself up to love these three children – he didn't think Jack would ever allow that to happen again.

"We'll figure something out Jack, don't worry", was all he could say. "Just don't tell the kids right away. Maybe – maybe it won't happen. Maybe the guy will change his mind."

"Yeah right", Jack snorted softly, "Not when he hears about the money!"

"Money? What money?" Jack hadn't had a chance to tell his friends about the settlement since they'd been on a mission when he heard.

"The trucking company offered a $10 million settlement for the accident. They also offered money for their upkeep."

"Really?" Daniel's voice suddenly sharpened. "how much was that?"

"About $150,000 I think – I don't remember. What does it matter anyway?"

Daniel thought for a moment. "Jack, you'd better freshen up and then come out and see the kids. I think Chloe is a little freaked out by you being 'sick'. Just don't say anything, okay?" he repeated.

"Yeah, okay." Jack slowly stood up, moving like an old man. He headed towards his bathroom. "I'll be out in a minute."

Daniel watched him go, his brain thinking furiously. Something didn't seem right here, but he didn't want to say anything yet. He stood up abruptly and headed towards the living room. He needed to talk to Sam.

"Uncle Jack is feeling a little better", he announced, "although he's still a bit tired. Can you guys watch him while Sam and I go and make some supper?"

Matt and Chloe nodded. "I'll look after him", the little girl announced.

Sam smiled and then turned and followed Daniel, wondering what was going on. She hadn't missed the strange expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked as soon as they entered the kitchen. "Is the Colonel okay?" she quickly frowned.

"He's okay – at least physically", he answered. "Sam, he just found out that Ross Benton has a brother, who wants custody of the kids. A judge agreed and they told Jack he's coming for them in a week."

"What!" she looked at him with huge eyes. "No, they can't take them away like that. It'll kill them and the Colonel."

"Yeah, I know."

"We can fight it. Surely if we show them how attached the Colonel and the kids are they'll reconsider?"

"I don't think so Sam", Daniel answered. "If this guy is the brother he is the closer relative and so probably has a right to the children."

"What do you mean 'if'? Hasn't that been established already?"

"That's the thing Sam", Daniel said, suddenly sounding intense. "I feel like there's something really fishy here and I think we need to check it out."

"Fishy? Why?" she looked at him in confusion.

"'Cause Jack just told me the kids have been given an $10 Million settlement for the accident plus the caregiver will receive $150,00 a year to look after the kids. That seems like a scenario made for 'fishy'."

Sam nodded slowly. "I agree. Do we know anything about this guy?"

"No, as far as I can tell Jack was simply told Ross' brother had showed up and the judge agreed to let him have custody."

"Well then, I think we'd better look into this right away. We'll have to find out more information and get going on it. Is the Colonel suspicious?"

"He's practically in shock Sam. I don't think he's thinking clearly right now about anything."

"Oh God, poor man. Is there anything we can do?"

"I think he just needs us to be here Sam. I wish Teal'c were here but he's stuck on base until the quarantine is lifted. Maybe we should call General Hammond and let him know what's happening."

"Good idea. He may have some high-level connections he can contact to help us." At that moment they heard voices from the living room. "That sounds like the Colonel. Do you think he'll be okay?"

"He'll keep up the front for the kids sakes", Daniel answered. "I told him not to say anything to them yet. The thought of having to tell them is tearing him apart."

Sam could feel her throat tighten when she thought about the anguish this was going to cause. "Can you call the General?", she asked. "I'm going to the living room to check up on the Colonel. We're going to help him through this Daniel", she said with conviction.

"Of course we are."

Sam could tell, instantly, that the Colonel was in a bad way, although she was impressed with how well he seemed to be dealing with the children. Outwardly he was his usual self, kidding and joking with Matt and Chloe. She knew him well enough, to see the lines of tension around his eyes, and the bruised look under them. This was a man in terrible pain and she wanted nothing so much as to walk up to him and give him a hug. She knew, however, that that would be the worst thing she could do. He was hanging on for dear life and he needed her to be strong right now, to help _him_ be strong for the children.

"That's a pretty amazing piece of construction Sir", she said, looking at the lego building he was making. He was sitting on the floor with the two older children, who seemed completely happy now that 'Uncle Jack' was okay.

"He's feeling better Auntie Sam", Chloe chimed in. "He said he had a nap and now he's okay. He's helping me make a school out of lego."

"Is that right? Well then, I bet it will be pretty amazing." Sam came over and sat on the edge of the couch, looking down at the three of them. They seemed so natural, so _good_ together and she felt a terrible sense of sorrow. "Well I don't want to disturb you", she said, "so I think I'll go out in the kitchen and make us all a snack. I expect building a school will make you all pretty hungry."

The children were thrilled with that idea, and let her know it. The Colonel had, as yet, to say one word to her. As she stood up, however, he looked at her.

"Thanks Sam", he said softly.

She looked down at him and gave him a gentle smile. "It'll be okay Sir", she answered softly. "SG1 is on it!"

By the time she returned with some fruit and crackers, she thought the Colonel was looking a bit better, although still not one hundred percent. She made it her job to keep his mind off of things as much as possible and they all spent the afternoon playing silly games. Ali woke up finally and they then decided to head for the playground.

Sam found herself walking beside the Colonel as the kids skipped a few feet ahead of them. He still hadn't said much, but the excitement and rambunctiousness of the kids had kept his silence from being too noticeable. She glanced up at him and again wished there was something she could do.

"What's Daniel doing?" he asked abruptly. "I know he's up to something. I have barely seen him this afternoon."

"He's checking on Ross' brother", she answered softly, deciding to be truthful. "He said he smelled something fishy."

Jack paused briefly, and then kept walking. Without glancing at her he asked, "why 'fishy'?"

"Well, because the man suddenly showed up when there was money in the picture. Why didn't we hear about him before that?"

Jack stopped again, but this time stared down at Sam. When he started walking again, not wanting to let the children get too far ahead, he looked slightly intrigued. "Maybe it took that long for him to hear?" he said. "I mean, how would he have heard about the money anyway? I don't think the trucking company would have said anything, not yet, and Layton – uh, the kids lawyer – just told me. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have made it public, especially since we hadn't accepted it yet."

"It's pretty hard to keep something like that secret Colonel. The guy could have found out in a million different ways."

"Yes, or he could really be Ross Benton's brother. He may be a thoroughly decent guy who thinks he's doing the right thing."

"Yes, that's possible and if that's the case that's what our research should show."

"_Research?" _ What research are you talking about?"

"Daniel and I are going to check him out. Daniel went to speak with General Hammond. We figure he might have some friends in high places who could help."

"Dammit Carter", Jack said in frustration. "What if this gets back to Benton or one of the social workers?" He rubbed his hand through his hair.

"So what if it does?" she asked. "You can simply say you were concerned about the kids. It's not like you're doing anything wrong. If it turns out he's okay, at least you'll feel better that he's not some criminal. If he doesn't check out – well, then he won't be able to take the kids."

Jack sighed and again ran his fingers through his hair. "God, I can't believe this is happening Carter. I thought that, just for once, things seemed to be working out okay. Instead it's a holy mess."

"Sir, we're SG1. Since when have things _ever_ worked out okay – at least in the beginning? Eventually things do work in the end though – that's how we operate."

"Really?" He grinned slightly. "So, I have to wait for -"

"- for the end Sir", she grinned, "not the beginning."

"Alright", he sighed, "I can do that, I guess. Just tell me what you discover, no matter what it is, okay?"

"Of course."

By that evening what they'd found out, with the General's help, was that Ronald Benton looked like he was legitimate.

"He produced a birth certificate Daniel", the General said. He'd decided to drop by the house and speak to Jack and the others in person. He waited until after the children were in bed and then told what he'd learned. "The county records corroborate that it's legitimate. He was almost ten years older than Ross and, according to my source, he told everyone he ran away from home when he was 16. He claimed he'd gotten in touch with Ross just a few months ago and they planned to meet. He said he was waiting for Ross to call but when he didn't he figured his brother no longer wished to see him - and then he heard about the accident. He knew about the children and said he and his wife talked about it and they decided they wanted them. I guess they can't have any of their own."

"I don't know", Daniel said, "it still sounds suspicious to me. I mean really – the old 'long-lost brother' that suddenly appears _when there's money at stake_. I think we need to check this out more carefully. Surely there must be someone who knew the Bentons when Ross was little? Where's he from?"

"We're trying to find that out", Hammond continued. "His birth certificate was registered in Milwaukee, but so far that's all we know. It's not like Benton is an unusual name!"

"I can help Sir", Sam said. "If I could get on base I could check with the computers there. I can use my security clearance to find out more."

"Unfortunately you can't get on until the quarantine is over. I spoke to Dr. Frasier and it looks like it might go on for at least another 24 hours." The General said.

"Dammit!" Daniel exclaimed. "Why now? We need to get that information. I just wish Teal'c knew more about computers."

"Wait - that's right." Sam turned to General Hammond. "Sir, if I can get permission from you I could call Teal'c and walk him through how to gain access to certain records. He could look some things up for me."

"Certainly Major, if you think that would help." The General looked over at Jack, worried at the silence of his second in command. It was rare for him to be so quiet. "What about you Jack? What are your thoughts on this?"

The Colonel shrugged. "I guess it's worth it to check Sir", he answered, "but I don't know if you'll find anything. He'll probably turn out to be totally legitimate."

Hammond wanted to curse someone or something. The Colonel didn't deserve these – and he was feeling very worried. O'Neill didn't look well – not at all – and George was afraid what this would do to the man.

"Sir, why don't you try and contact the lawyer and see if you can find out anything more?" Daniel suggested. It would be useful to know whether or not there was a way he could have heard about the money."

"I can do that", Jack answered. Suddenly he seemed to gain some energy and he sat up straight. "I think it might be a good idea to meet the man too", he said. "I'll see if he can come by now, before the week is up, and get a feel for him."

"Uh Jack – what excuse could you give for that?" Daniel wanted to know.

"I'll just tell the lawyer I think it's important that the kids at least _meet_ him and his wife before they come and take them away. After what the kids have been through it's only fair."

The others agreed and began to plan out all they had to do. Sam stood up and went into the other room to call Teal'c. As she left she turned to the Colonel. "Sir, don't worry", she said. "We really will figure this out."

He smiled at her and prayed that she was right, although he really didn't worry too much about figuring anything out. No - what he really wanted was simple. He wanted to keep the kids


	10. Four Gifts

_**Hi - and I hope you all don't hate me ... packing, packing, packing ... so it's been impossible to write. Again, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers - both to my faithful ones and to those who are reviewing for the first time. It's always exciting to see a new name! Someone asked me about The Rescue. I absolutely plan on finishing it, so don't worry. I'm just rather caught up in this one for now and don't want to quash the muse! I will get back to it though in the near future.**_

_**So - on with the show...!**_

He'd pretty much convinced himself that it was a good thing that Ronald Benton had come forward to take the children. Even though his team were sure there was something 'fishy', he decided that the man was probably totally legitimate and that it would be a good thing for the kids to go to a couple, rather than to an aging, divorced soldier with enough crap in his background to fill a space-ship. Okay, so it would be hard on the kids at first, but after a while they'd become attached to their new parents and everything would be fine.

He went back and forth as to whether or not he wanted to stay a part of their lives. He could continue to be 'Uncle Jack' – the kindly, favorite uncle who visited on holidays and sent birthday presents. But he was pretty sure that would kill him, so he then decided it was best to just stay out of their lives. He figured they'd forget him quickly.

It was as these thoughts were circling in his head that the doorbell rang. Knowing who it would be he sighed and stood up slowly. He would give anything not to go through with this, but for the kids he'd do it.

"You must be Jack", the man said as soon as he opened the door. "It's nice to meet you. I appreciate you contacting us."

Jack had gotten in touch with Layton and told him he wanted to meet Ronald Benton and his wife. He'd used the excuse that it was important to talk to them and fill them in on the kids before they took them. Benton had agreed to come and had flown down from Grand Rapids, with his wife.

Jack looked the couple over quickly. Ronald looked to be slightly younger than him, but not by much; probably in his early forties. His wife, on the other hand, looked to be no more than in her late twenties. They were both attractive and well dressed – and looked like any other middle-class couple in America.

"This is my wife Emily", Ronald introduced the woman at his side.

Jack shook her hand and then invited them both in. If they had known him they would have been surprised at his uncharacteristic quiet and serious demeanor – but since they didn't they were both remained cheerful and relaxed.

"Can I get you both a drink?" Jack asked.

"No, that's fine. We just came from lunch. Uh where are the kids?" Ronald looked around, as did his wife.

"They're out with my friends. I thought it would be a good idea for us to meet alone. It's going to be a hard transition for them, after everything they've gone through. I just thought we should talk first.

The man opposite him suddenly looked sad. "I know, it must be awful for them. I'm glad you were here to watch out for them, although I'm sure you're looking forward to getting your life back?" Ronald smiled, as did his wife.

"Not really", Jack answered. "I'll miss the kids. They're great – you're lucky to be able to have them."

"Oh yes, we're very excited", Emily answered. It was the first time Jack had heard her speak beyond saying hello. "You see, we couldn't have children, so this is a real blessing for us. I can hardly wait to decorate their rooms and take them shopping for things, especially the girls."

Jack had to bite his cheeks to keep from speaking. The woman – Emily – hadn't said anything wrong, it's just that he wanted to tell her he'd _already_ decorated the kids' rooms, just the way they wanted. They didn't need to leave – to have new rooms.

"Ronald", he turned to the man across from him. "Uh, what is it you do?"

"Call me Ron", the other man said. "Ronald makes me sound like my father! I work as an insurance broker", he said. "We just moved back to Grand Rapids so I'm reestablishing my business there."

"I see. Where were you before?"

"Oh, we moved all over", he laughed, "isn't that right Em? I swear we've seen most of the United States. So, tell us about the children. Forewarned is forearmed I always say", he laughed.

Jack slowly told the Bentons a few details about the kids, although he kept it pretty simple and basic. He needed to remain calm and relaxed and he was afraid he'd lose it if he started really telling them about the children – about how Ali loved whisker rubs and to snuggle; about Chloe being shy but loving, or about her art, which was so important to her. And then there was Matt – the brother who was protective towards his little sisters, who looked after the; who loved model airplanes and all things to do with space. No – he only told them the basics, and even that was enough.

"So", Jack sat back after he'd finished telling them about the kids. "Tell me a bit about yourselves. What is it you do Emily?" He looked at the young woman and for a brief second saw something strange pass over her face. It happened so quickly he wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or not.

"Oh, there's not much to tell", she smiled. "Ron and I have been married for six years and I'm a stay at home wife. I realized, after I met him, that my favorite thing was to look after him and our home. Now I can hardly wait until I have the children and I can look after them too."

Jack just nodded, uncertain what to say. He had total respect for women who chose to stay home, knowing it was a noble calling, but he wondered about Emily. He couldn't help but compare her to Carter, which was totally unfair as there _was_ no one who could compare with her, at least as far as he was concerned. Still, Emily Benton seemed rather vapid and he had no idea what to say to her.

"That's nice", was all he managed, and he turned to Ron. "How did you end up finding out about what had happened to Ross and Terry-Lyn?" he asked casually. "I understand you hadn't actually met them."

"No, sadly we didn't get a chance to meet. I had spoken to Ross a couple of times and we were planning to hook up. I'd left home at 16 – when he was only a little kid – so both of us were looking forward to meeting one another. When I didn't hear from him for weeks, I assumed he'd changed his mind. As for hearing about it – I uh saw an old newspaper somewhere. Just happened to pick it up and I saw the article. I felt terrible and immediately got in touch with the police. They told me about Mr. Layton and here we are." He smiled, a kind and sincere smile. "I still feel terrible for poor Ross, but I must admit that for us it's a real blessing. We always wanted kids."

Jack nodded and then stood up suddenly. "Are you sure I can't get you something to drink?"

By the time he'd made a pot of coffee he felt slightly better, although he still had the urge to double zat the couple – no, _triple_ zat them. Then there'd be no evidence. He laughed to himself. 'You're losing it Jack'. He returned to the living room and handed the mugs to the couple on the couch.

"So Jack, we should discuss about us getting the kids. We're happy to take them at any time -"

"I have them till Saturday", Jack interrupted. "I think it's better to wait until then. I need some time to let the kids know and -"

"You haven't told them yet?" Ron frowned. "Don't you think they should be told? There's no point in hiding it from them – it'll just be worse in the long run."

Jack could feel himself grow angry. He wanted to tell Benton that he knew the kids, knew what was best for them – but swallowed the words. "I'll tell them, don't worry – it's just going to be traumatic for them so I wanted to wait for the best time."

Ross smiled again and said he understood. He then spent the next few minutes telling Jack all the things they had planned for the summer. They'd been there almost two hours when he finally looked at his watch. "I didn't realize it was so late. It's time we should be going." He stood up and reached down to help Emily. "Jack, it's been great to meet you. I think this has been very helpful. We'll be back on the weekend to pick up the kids."

Jack escorted them to the door, smiled, said all the appropriate things and watched as they drove away. He then stood there for a long time until he took a sudden breath and shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. He turned and headed back into the living room.

It was there that Daniel and Sam and the kids found him when they returned half an hour later. The kids all bounded in, hungry and excited after their 'adventure'. They chattered away to Jack until Sam got them settled at the kitchen table and gave them all dinner. Daniel helped although he stuck his head out at one point and told Jack to come and join them.

After dinner it was time for baths and bed and by the time everyone was done and the kids were settled for the night, Sam and Daniel collapsed onto the couch. Jack stood looking out into the backyard.

His two friends looked at each other, worried over what was going on. The Colonel had been quiet since their return, but hadn't said much. They were curious to find out about Ronald Benton, but hadn't wanted to say anything with the kids still up.

"Jack?" Daniel finally asked. He could see the older man take a deep breath and then he turned around. Daniel started, surprised at the expression on O'Neill's face. He glanced at Sam, who looked equally as surprised.

Gone was the look of hopelessness and despair that he'd been sporting. Gone was that look that Daniel associated with the first trip to Abydos. In its place was a look they'd seen many times on the Colonel. It was that look that said 'the Goa'uld better watch the hell out, because Jack O'Neill is here and he's gonna kick some butt.

"Jack?" Daniel asked again. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Jack asked, walking in to the room. He stood and looked down at his two friends. "What happened is that Ronald Benton and his little wife Emily, are two-bit con artists out for the money. They thought they hid it well, but I could tell after about 30 seconds. Nope – they're not legit and it's time we got moving and figured out how he did it. There is no way in _hell_ that I'm letting them take the kids!"

Sam couldn't help but grin, and noticed that Daniel was doing the same. It was great to have the Colonel back. "Yes Sir", she said. "We will figure it out and then -" she paused.

"And then what Sam?" Daniel asked, grinning even wider.

"Well, I'd like to feed them to the replicators, but barring that we could report them to the police."

"Where's Teal'c?" Jack frowned suddenly. "Why isn't he here?"

"He's doing some investigating on the computer Sir", Sam answered. "I showed him how and now I can't get him off of it. Still, he might find something useful."

"You've corrupted him Carter", Jack shook his head at her.

"Yeah Sir – like you didn't corrupt him with the Simpsons, or get him hooked on fantasy science fiction."

"But those are all classics Carter!"

"Yes Sir, if you say so Sir", she agreed with a grin. He shot her a disgusted look.

"Okay then, let's get Teal'c over here and figure out what we have and what more we need to get on him – them. I'm sure Emily Benton is in on it as well."

They discussed all the information they had but couldn't find anything that seemed out of place. When Teal'c arrived he reported that he too had had little luck.

"What information I was able to locate", he'd shared, "seems to be accurate. He was born in Milwaukee and at the age of 16 he ran away from his home." Teal'c stopped and frowned. "Why would he run from his house?"

"Running away from home simply means he left and didn't go back", Daniel explained. "As to why – who knows. It may be that he fought with his parents or that he was in trouble or any number of things. Unfortunately it's not that uncommon."

"I see. Well, I found that he and his family lived there until he 'ran away'. After that there is nothing much until now."

"He said he was an insurance broker", Jack suddenly spoke. "He must be registered or licensed somewhere."

"Good idea Sir, I'll check on it." Sam turned to her laptop and started typing.

Jack found that he was too restless to sit for long. This kind of searching for information was more Sam or Daniel's forte. He needed action – he wanted to be out doing something, anything. If he didn't have the kids he would have hopped a plane and flown to Milwaukee.

"I have it", Sam said, her voice sounding disappointed. "Ronald Benton, born 1964, is licensed out of Chicago as an insurance broker." She turned to the others. "Well, at least that part is true." She sighed – the more they looked the less likely it appeared that he was an imposter. "Really, the only way we can know for sure is through a DNA test", she said.

"Why don't we get one?" Daniel asked, looking excited. "That would tell us once and for all."

"I thought of that", Jack answered. "I asked Irv – the lawyer. He said the judge refused to order one as all his paper work is in order. There has to be some kind of reason before he'd order one – I guess it's considered an invasion of privacy."

"_Invasion of privacy!_ Are they crazy?", sputtered Daniel. "We're talking about three innocent children here. You'd think they'd want to be as careful as possible."

"Daniel, the Colonel didn't have to give a DNA test when he got the kids", Sam reasoned softly. "I guess unless something looks suspicious they can't just go ahead and do things like that. I'm sure the courts are pretty rigorous when it comes to DNA testing."

"Yeah, I guess", he said, sounding disgruntled. "What about finger prints?"

"I doubt if they'd allow finger prints any more than they would DNA", Sam answered.

Jack suddenly made a sound. "But we're not bound by that."

"Uh – I guess not – but we can't exactly go up to them and ask for their finger prints", Sam said with a frown.

"We don't have to", exclaimed Jack. He headed quickly for the kitchen and left the others looking puzzled. He returned a few seconds later with something wrapped in a dish towel. "These are their cups", he explained. "I gave them a coffee and put these in the dishwasher. Thank god I didn't turn it on after dinner."

"Here Sir", Sam reached out and carefully took the mugs. "I'll ask Siler if he can help us with these. The only problem is going to be how to get into IAFIS" when everyone looked puzzled she explained "the FBI finger print database. It's the largest in the world."

"If anyone can do it Sam, you can", Jack grinned at her. "Just make sure you don't get caught. I don't want you to get into trouble for me."

"Don't worry Sir, I'll make sure."

After that there was nothing more they could do that night. Jack went to bed feeling discouraged. He knew that Benton and his wife were fakes – but was losing hope that they could prove it.

First thing the next morning he called Irving Layton and told him of his suspicions. "Is there anything we can do to hold this up? We may need more time to prove anything."

The lawyer sighed and there was silence for a few seconds. "I don't know Jack", he finally said. "Judge McDonald is extremely conservative and seemed to really like the Bentons. I think he feels it's much better for the kids to be with a married couple rather than a single and divorced man. I tried to get some more time, to make sure the claim was legitimate and he wouldn't hear of it. I don't think he's going to change his mind, not unless you bring something specific forward. And if you do find something, it's going to have to be pretty damning because McDonald isn't one for changing his mind or ever admitting he might have made a mistake."

Jack blew out a breath of air. "Damn", he said softly. "Okay Irving, I appreciate you being honest with me. I guess we'll just have to find something 'damning'. I _know_ the guy is a con-man, I just have to prove it."

"Well, it's in the nature of con-men to be very good at what they do. I'm sure he's built a trail that looks real. I wonder about Emily?" he asked. "Do you think they're actually married?"

Jack thought back to the conversation he'd had with the two of them, and suddenly remembered that strange look he'd thought he'd caught on Emily's face. There was definitely something going on with the wife. He didn' have any idea what it was. "I don't know", he admitted. "They might be, although she played the sweet, adoring wife a little too well. It would have flown if they were newlyweds, but according to them they've been together for quite a few years. It just seemed a bit much."

"Okay, then maybe we should be looking into her?" Layton suggested. "I'll see what I can find out about her. I have the papers that they filed for guardianship and it should list her maiden name. We can look that up and see what we find. In the meantime, don't lose hope Jack. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Jack sat for a few minutes after he'd hung up, wondering when he'd have to tell the children. He didn't want to say anything, not as long as there was a chance. On the other hand, he really couldn't leave it right until the end. He sighed, knowing this was going to be hard. He had four more days left – until they either proved the Bentons were fakes – or his life was left in shambles.

He heard Ali call for him and got up to start another day. He took a deep breath before walking into the girls' room, knowing he couldn't let them see his anxiety. It was going to be hard, but for their sake he could do it.

His team came over mid-morning. Teal'c brought a box of donuts with him, which thrilled the kids, although Jack gave him a hard time about it.

"But you like donuts O'Neill", Teal'c reasoned. "Why then cannot the children have some?"

"Touche Jack", Daniel laughed. "What's good for the goose …!"

"That's 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander', Daniel, _not_ for the goslings!"

Daniel laughed and took a bite of his donut. He watched as the three kids polished off theirs, their faces all covered with powdered sugar. God, he prayed they could figure this out.

Just then the doorbell rang and his three team mates all looked at him in inquiry.

"Cassie", he explained. "I asked her to come over and babysit. She's going to take them to the playground and keep them busy while we continue to work."

Jack was grateful that Cas had finally come around – literally and figuratively. He'd been very surprised, at first, when she'd refused to come over and see the kids. He'd thought she'd be thrilled to meet them. He also thought she'd be good for them because of her background. Cassie had also lost her parents at a young age and would certainly empathize with what they were going through. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way.

He'd invited her a few times but she'd always had an excuse. At first he thought her reasons were real, but after the third or fourth time he'd realized that something was up. He finally decided to ask her mother.

"What's wrong Janet? I've invited Cassie over but she always refuses. Is she mad at me or something?"

Janet had sighed and took a bit of time before she answered. "I don't think she knows what to feel Colonel", she answered. "For some reason she got quite upset when I told her about the children. I didn't expect it, believe me. She loves kids and does a lot of babysitting. I thought she'd be thrilled to meet them."

"So what is it?" he asked, worried and confused.

"I think it's a combination of a couple of things,", she answered. "I think their story brought back all sorts of bad memories. For the most part she's handled her loss quite well, but it has to be still with her and this brought everything back."

Jack could certainly understand that. It had revived all sorts of memories and feelings for him, as it had for both Daniel and Sam. He suddenly felt guilty – he should have realized.

"But it's not just that", Janet continued. "I also think there's some jealousy there as well. She's always felt she had a special place in your life– that you were her favorite uncle – and she your favorite 'niece'. I think she feels like she's been usurped."

"What?" he said, stunned. "But I love Cas – having the kids won't ever change that. She _is_ special and because of that I want to share them with her."

"_I_ know that Colonel, and so do you – but remember, she's a teenager _and_ she's already lost one family. I expect she's pretty sensitive about losing you too."

"Damn! I should have thought of this. What do you think I should do Janet?", he asked.

"Uh – I'm not sure. Maybe if you invited her out – just the two of you – and talked to her? I can't promise it will help, but it probably couldn't hurt."

So, he'd found out from Janet when Cassie was free and called her up. He told her he was coming to pick her up and they were going out for pizza. He could tell she _really_ didn't want to go, but he didn't give her any choice.

She was sullen and uncommunicative for the first part of the evening. She ate as if the pizza was cardboard and wouldn't look at him.

Jack sighed and watched the girl in front of him. What he'd said to Janet was true. He loved this girl – almost as if she were his daughter. The two of them had a special bond – had had it right from the beginning. He hated that something was coming between them.

"I'd let you zat me if that would make you feel better Cas", he finally said. Her head jerked up in surprise at his comment. "I know you're mad at me, and I really am sorry for whatever I've done. You have to know that I'll always love you like the daughter I never had. Nothing's changed you know."

"Except you _do _have daughters now", she answered, sounded angry. "Things _have_ changed."

He sighed again. "Okay, I guess that's true", he said quietly. "But that doesn't mean I love you any less. You'll always be my sweet Cassie. Having the kids doesn't change _that_."

"Doesn't it? Who are you going to take to hockey games now? I hear that Matt loves hockey. I assume I won't be going with you anymore?"

"Hey, that's totally not true. Yes, I'll take Matt, but I got seasons tickets for _all_ of us, not just Matt and me. I fully expect you to come. In fact, I was looking forward to the two of you meeting. Cassie, these kids needs lots of love – and you've got so much to give. You can be a big sister to them – they'll love you, I know."

She didn't answer, just looked down at her pizza and began to pick the mushrooms off of it.

"Chloe - she's five", Jack told her softly, "complains that I can't do a proper braid. She wants someone to help her with her hair and I'm useless. Little Ali _loves_ if someone plays Dora with her. I try, but I think she thinks I'm pretty much of a failure at it. Teal'c is actually pretty good", he pondered briefly, "But he refuses to dress up with her. Cass, they're sweet kids. And anyway – I miss you", he said quietly. "You haven't been over in a long time. And you haven't made me any of your special chocolate cake. You _know_ I need to have some at regular intervals." He stopped talking but still she didn't look up. He finally reached his hand forward and covered hers. "Cassie, you're important to me. Please say you'll forgive me and come over?"

At that she finally lifted her face and he could see the tears dripping from her eyes. "Oh my dear!" he got out of his seat and moved to the other side of the table and sat beside her on the booth seat. "C'mere", he said, pulling her to him. At that she buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed out the grief about the loss of her parents – and her worry that she was losing him too.

By the time they left the pizza place she was chatting away as if nothing had happened. They stopped off at his place on the way back and she met the kids. To no one's surprise, she fell in love with them instantly, and they with her. From that moment on Cassie was another one of their favorites.

"And she does _good_ braids Uncle Jack", Chloe told her.

He laughed and ruffled her hair. "That's good munchkin", he'd replied. "I figured you'd like Cassie."

After that he had asked Cassie to babysit for him a few times, usually when he had to go out to the store for groceries or something similar. Today, he knew that he and the rest of SG1 would be busy trying to catch a scoundrel.

"Hi Uncle Jack", Cassie said as she walked in. She gave him a hug and then grinned when she heard three little voices shout 'Cassie'. "You go and get the bad guys", she said. "I'll take the kids to the playground.

He watched as the four children walked down the street and couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on his face. He thought his life had ended with Charlie, but now he had four kids – all who had suffered horrible losses of their own – in his life. He made up his mind, there and then, that he was _not_ going to lose the gift he'd been given.

"Okay campers", he said as he returned to the living room. "Let's get to work and get this bastard!"


	11. Something Wrong

**_SO SORRY everyone - I was falling asleep when I posted last night and hit the wrong chapter. Here's the correct one._**

By lunchtime they were no closer to finding anything damning on Ronald or Emily Benton, although all of them were more than ever convinced there had to be _something_. The Bentons seemed a little too perfect.

"We know where he was born" Daniel said, "that he ran away at 16, is a licensed insurance broker, and has no criminal record. We also know he's married to Emily – although we don't know her maiden name yet. The details are sparse, but what's there seems totally legitimate. I've even spoken to a few people who know him."

"Really?" Sam looked up at that. "How did you do that?"

"I simply checked out other insurance brokers licensed in Chicago and called around. I hit a couple who knew him; not well, mind you, but they certainly verified that he exists _and _they described him to me – although I think they thought I was a bit strange. One of them even mentioned that he'd heard the Bentons had moved somewhere in Michigan. He couldn't remember where, but it certainly fits."

"Crap", Jack ran his fingers through his hair, which didn't help the already wild hairdo caused by his increasing frustration. "At this rate we're not going to find anything."

"We still have over three days till they come for the children." Daniel tried to offer some encouragement, although truth to tell, he was feeling pretty discouraged himself.

Jack lifted his head and gave Daniel a fierce look. "I told you, there's no way I'm gonna let them take the kids!"

"But what if we don't find anything? They'll make you give them up."

Jack muttered something and looked down.

"What was that Sir?" Sam said with a puckered brow.

"I _said_ – there's always Thor."

His teammates stared at him for a few seconds until the silence was broken by Teal'c.

"Indeed."

Shortly thereafter the kids returned from the playground, dirty, hungry and happy as could be.

"Cassie swinged us _really_ high", babbled Chloe. "I went really, really fast, didn't I Cassie."

"You did indeed", Cassie smiled at the little girl. "She was _very_ brave Uncle Jack."

Jack smiled at Chloe, thrilled at how happy and relaxed she appeared. A small voice interrupted his thoughts."

"Alees bwave too Uncow Tzak!"

Jack grinned and leaned down and picked Ali up and swung her around, causing her to squeal. "You were brave were you? Good for you. And did you go down the slide?"

"Yup!" she said happily. "Down!"

Jack placed her on her feet and she ran over to Sam. "Hi Auntie Sammy! Alees a bwave giwl."

"Yes you are", Sam gave the little girl a big hug. "And I think Chloe deserves one too!" Chloe walked over to Sam happily and threw her arms around her legs. Sam returned her hug and stood there grinning at the two little girls plastered against her.

"And what about you Matt?" Jack asked, looking at the very dirty, grinning boy. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes Uncle Jack", he beamed. "Cassie pushed me really high on the swings too. Then I twisted the swing and _zoomed_ around really fast and I got to hang upside down."

"Upside down? Wow, I didn't know I had a monkey living here."

Matt grinned again. "I'm hungry!" he announced. The girls immediately nodded and began clamoring for lunch.

"Okay everyone – you all need to go wash up. Cassie, can you help with the girls? I'll help Matt. In the meantime – Daniel and Teal'c, do you guys want to get out the sandwiches and veggies?"

"We want Auntie Sam to help us too", Chloe cried.

Jack looked at Carter, not wanting to presume to ask for too much help.

"It's fine Sir, I'm happy to do it."

Since she had a really big smile on her face, he figured she meant it. He stood watching for a second as the two girls tugged on her hands, pulling her towards the bathroom. He shook himself when Matt grabbed his own hand. As he headed out of the room he glanced at Daniel, catching a strange expression on his friend's face. When he lifted his brow in question, the other man simply shrugged. Jack knew _something_ was bugging Daniel, but then again, maybe he didn't want to go there.

Once the kids were bathed and fed, they were ready for some down time. Ali fell asleep right after lunch and Jack carried her to her bed. He then got out some toys for the other two and let them play quietly.

"I'll watch them, don't worry Uncle Jack", Cassie said. "You keep doing what you have to do. I can stay as long as you need me."

"Thanks Cas", Jack gave her a quick hug and then headed into his study where the rest of his team had already resumed their work. It was only a couple of minutes later when the phone rang.

"Hello." He looked at his team and mouthed, 'Layton'. "Really? Okay, we'll check it out, but it doesn't sound promising." He reached for a pen and jotted some notes down as he listened to the lawyer. "Thanks Irv, I appreciate it. I'll let you know if we come up with anything."

After signing off he sighed and looked at his friends. "Layton was calling to let us know about Emily. Her maiden name was Marshfield and she's originally from Rochester, New York. She was born on", he looked at his paper, "May 14, 1974". She and Ronald were married six years ago in Chicago."

"It all seems to fit", Sam said. "Why is it then that I still feel there's something we're missing?"

"I know, me too", Daniel said quietly. "I feel like it's right on the tip of my nose and I'm missing it!"

"There is nothing on the tip of your nose Daniel Jackson", Teal'c said. "However, I also feel like something is not right. Why do we not go over everything and see if there is something we are indeed missing?"

So, for the next hour they talked about all the details they'd been able to pick up, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. All of them were frustrated and ready to call it a day when Daniel suddenly frowned.

"What is it Daniel?" Jack knew that look. He'd seen it many times when his friend was trying to figure out some ancient puzzle.

"Uh – there's something that's bothering me", he said. "Look, the trucking company announced the payout and then it was just a couple of days later that Benton showed up, right?"

"Yeah, that's right", Jack said, wondering what the other man's point was.

"If this really is all a big scam, how could he have organized everything in just a couple of days? I mean, if he _is_ a con artist, he would have to have laid a careful trail, and I don't see how he could have done it in that length of time."

The others sat silently, pondering his comments. For a second Jack seemed deflated, as if Daniel's words had meant the end of hope. Maybe the man really was the honest deal. Abruptly however, he sat up straight, a strange light in his eye.

"What if he didn't start this whole thing when he found out about the trucking company payout?"

"What do you mean Colonel?" Sam asked, confused. "Why would he have done it before then – if he is in fact doing it for the money?"

"Oh, I'm sure he _is_ doing it for the money – I just think we were thinking about the _wrong_ money." He answered.

"The wrong money?" Daniel asked. "What do you mean? What other money is there?"

"The insurance money", Teal'c answered quietly. "Did you not say O'Neill, that the parents had taken out a million dollar insurance policy in case of their deaths?"

"Yes", Jack answered. "They did. Doesn't it seem a little odd to you that a couple who hadn't even done a will, had the foresight to take out an insurance policy? And the other thing – any broker worth his salt would insist on the couple _getting_ a will, if they were taking out a policy."

"So you're saying -"

"I'm saying", interrupted Jack, "that this was planned a long time ago. Don't you remember me telling you that Ronald said he had reconnected with Ross months ago?"

"But he said he hadn't seen him, that they'd only talked on the phone?"

"Yes _he_ said that. How do we know that's true? The only other person who could confirm that is dead. Look, we know Benton is an insurance broker, what if he -"

"Got them to take out a policy?" this time it was Sam who interrupted. "Sir, that's brilliant."

"I have my moments Carter", he answered with a smirk.

"Brief though they may be", Daniel quipped. Jack threw his pen at him.

"But Jack – it's only a million" answered Daniel, catching the pen with a frown at his friend. "That's nothing compared to the trucking settlement."

"I know, but a million isn't anything to sneeze at either although I expect they thought they'd hit the jackpot when they found out about the $10 million."

"So, you believe that Ronald Benton -"

"- and sweet Emily", said Jack.

"Yes, and Emily", Carter continued, "got to Ross and Terry-Lyn, got them to take out a policy, and then _killed_ them? But the police said it was an accident."

"And it may have been, although I'd like to follow that up a bit more closely. It could have been that Ronald and Emily were planning to kill them, but were saved the trouble when they were killed in the accident. It may have simply been serendipitous for the two of them."

"But why would they pick the Bentons? That doesn't make sense", Daniel interjected. "Wouldn't you think they'd go after someone with more money?"

"Not at all", Jack replied. "What's the one thing we know about Ross and Terry-Lyn?"

When no one answered he shook his head. "You people! They were both orphans – with little or no family. Ronald and Emily would find it harder to get access to the money if there were other relatives. This way they could come forward as the _only_ relatives and get to the bucks."

"But what about you?" Daniel wanted to know.

"It took Irving Layton over a week to locate me, and he had access to the Benton's things. He told me that he discovered that I existed when he went through some paper work of Terry-Lyn's. I guess she had the sympathy cards from her mother's funeral, and he found one from me. I had signed it 'Cousin Jack', so that's why Layton looked me up. If it hadn't been for that, he might never have found me."

"So, Benton picks two orphans with children and convinces them to sign up for an insurance policy. He and his wife plan to kill them but before they can, Ross and Terry-Lyn are killed in what seems to be a legitimate accident. Ronald waits a while, until it seems plausible, and claims he's the long-lost brother and that he wants custody. But wait – he won't have access to that money anyway. It's tied up for the children, so what good will it do him?"

"As their guardian he can get access to it in order to look after them", Sam explained. "I'm sure he's got it all figured out."

"If this is true", Teal'c interjected, "How are we to prove that it is so and ensure the children remain with O'Neill?"

"Well, the first thing we need to do is check out the insurance policy and see who the broker was", Jack explained, feeling sure they were on the right track. "After that, I think we need to check out Emily a little bit better. Layton gave me the information on where they are staying." He referred to the paper in his hand. "They're at the Westin Hotel in Denver. I think it might be a good idea for one of us to go up there and see what we can find out about her."

"Uh, by that you mean meet her and talk to her?" Daniel asked. "How do you propose to do that? Won't she be suspicious?"

"_I_ don't propose to do anything Daniel. _You're_ the one who will go and talk to her."

"What? What do you mean?" Daniel frowned at him, not liking this one little bit.

"Emily Benton tried to portray herself as the devoted little housewife. I got the distinct impression that that's not who she really is! What she is I don't know, but if anyone can find out it's you Daniel. All you have to do is charm her. You're a good-looking guy – I'm just saying that because I've heard it from the nursing staff in the Infirmary so don't take this wrong – and I have the feeling that sweet Emily will agree. Just be your charming self and get her to open up to you."

"I hope you don't expect me to sleep with her!"

"_Daniel_! How could you even _think_ such a thing of me?" Jack grinned.

"How? Because I've known you for a lot of years Jack."

"Daniel", Jack said, seriously this time. "I don't want you to do anything that you feel uncomfortable about – I wouldn't ask, and don't expect you to do anything in the least bit wrong."

"Except lie to her?"

"It's all in a good cause", Sam said to him. "The Colonel is right Daniel – you _are_ an attractive man, and I don't need the nurses to tell me that. Just pretend that Emily is a Goa'uld and be careful, but get as much info as you can."

"A Goa'uld? God, I hope not." Daniel said, sounding worried.

"No, I'm pretty sure they are both earth-grown villains", Jack said with a grimace. "In some ways they're worse. At least we know exactly where we stand with the Goa'uld. These folks are much more subtle and can suck you in very easily. Just keep that in mind Daniel."

"Yeah, okay", the archaeologist answered, not looking forward to the ordeal ahead of him. "I'll try and find out what I can. You realize of course, you are going to owe me big time Jack?"

"I know Daniel. I really do appreciate it."

"Sir?"

"What Carter?" he turned to his Second.

"I think I should check out Ronald."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "No way Carter", he answered. "I don't want you going anywhere near him."

"But Colonel", she said, sounding peeved. "You know very well I'm perfectly able to take care of myself. Surely after all these years you're not questioning my ability?"

He sighed. "Of course not Sam – it's just – the guy gives me the creeps. I'm pretty sure he's a very dangerous man. I don't want you to get hurt."

"With all due respect Sir, I've dealt with some of the worst villains in the universe. Surely I can handle one two-bit con-man?"

"Carter, like I said to Daniel, I have a feeling that Ronald Benton is scarier than any Goa'uld."

"Colonel please. We need to get the information. I'll be on my guard the whole time but I may be able to help. I certainly haven't been able to do anything."

Jack sighed again, knowing that she was right and they needed to figure out some more details about Ronald and Emily. "Okay – just get out of there at the first sign of trouble, okay?"

"Okay Sir", she grinned.

"Carter, I mean it. Do_ not_ try and be heroic. If you are the least suspicious, get out of there double time. This isn't a mission so I can't order you, but I would like you to promise me."

"Yes Sir", she answered, slightly more seriously. "I promise."

"Okay then, you and Daniel better figure out how to get to Denver. It's best if you don't show up together. I've got the address here and I've written their descriptions. I hope you don't have trouble finding them."

"It'll be fine Jack, don't worry", Daniel told him. "Just make sure you tell Sam she doesn't have to sleep with the guy." Daniel smirked.

Jack scowled at his friend. "I think Carter knows I wouldn't ask her to do anything of the sort." He looked at her. "You know that, right?"

"Of course Sir."

"There, see Daniel, she knows."

"Okay Jack, just checking."

For the next few minutes Daniel and Sam discussed logistics of their trip to Denver. In the end they both agreed to book a room at the Westin but they would make sure to arrive separately.

"We'd better get going", Daniel looked at the clock. "If we leave now we'll get there before dinner."

"Be careful guys", Jack stood at the door as Daniel and Sam headed towards her Volvo after saying goodbye to the disappointed kids. He stood and watched until they'd driven away and then, taking a deep breath, he turned around and headed back to talk to Teal'c.

It was later that evening that Jack got a phone call from the lawyer, Irving Layton.

Jack was frowning when he hung up the phone. He stared at it blindly after he'd placed it in the cradle.

"What is wrong O'Neill?" Teal'c spoke softly from behind.

Jack must have jumped five feet straight up. "You startled me Teal'c." He turned and faced the Jaffa. "Layton just told me that the person who signed the insurance form wasn't Ronald Benton. It was a man by the name of David Turcotte. God Teal'c, I don't know what to do. Every time we think we're moving forward we end up taking two steps back."

"Do not give up O'Neill", Teal'c said gently. "I believe we will find something and we will ensure that the children remain with you. You must not give up hope."

"It's hard not to when you keep running into brick walls."

"What of this David Turcotte? Would he not have some useful information?"

"Yeah, I guess so", Jack said despondently. He glanced up at the clock. "Damn! It's time for the kids' supper. Wanna give me a hand Teal'c?"

After the kids were fed, bathed, read to and tucked in, Jack returned to the living room where Teal'c was watching a movie.

"I discovered the telephone number of Mr. Turcotte", he informed Jack. He reached over to the night table and picked up a piece of paper and handed it to the Colonel.

"Thanks T", Jack answered, looking bemused. He'd never see Teal'c quite so _comfortable_ with alien technology and – processes before.

He dialed the number and after a few rings someone picked up the phone. He began to explain his mission to the woman on the other end when he was interrupted. For the next few moments he simply listened to her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry", he said after she was done speaking. He said a few more appropriate words and hung up the phone.

Jack looked at Teal'c. "That was Mrs. Turcotte", he explained. "She said her husband was killed six weeks ago – in a traffic accident. She doesn't know Ronald Benton, although her husband told her he met him a couple of times. Her husband had said he really liked Ronald and that they were talking about starting a business together. She also remembered him doing a favor for Benton by meeting with a young couple to do an insurance policy."

"This all sounds rather suspicious O'Neilll", Teal'c said optimistically (for him at any rate).

"Oh yeah Teal'c – definitely suspicious! Mrs. Turcotte says the police don't think it was an accident that killed her husband although they don't have any actual evidence. It looks like Ronald may be more than a con man! Unfortunately, he's also very smart." He stood up suddenly. "God Teal'c, we're dealing with a murderer and I just sent Sam up to flirt with him and Daniel to hook up with Emily. Teal'c, call Cas and see if she can come by and babysit for a couple of days."

"I am happy to help in any way I can O'Neill", the big man informed him stoutly. "Do not worry. SG1 will not be vanquished so easily!"

"Great! Because we're on our way to Denver to rescue our team and I may need you."


	12. The Evil Stepmother

_**Happy Canada Day eh! The Great White North – land of the free, home of the brave (and, of course, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks and most of the Stargate cast and crew).**_

"Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack", Matt came tearing around the corner but stopped when he saw his guardian speaking to Colonel Dixon. "Oh, I'm sorry Sir", he said, bouncing up and down on his toes.

"That's fine Matt", Jack answered. "What is it?" He grinned at the little boy, knowing what was coming.

"Davey asked me to come for a sleep over. Can I go Uncle Jack? I'll be good, I promise. And Katie invited Chloe too. Can we go?"

Jack laughed, enjoying seeing the little boy so animated. "We – ell", he said, as if seriously thinking about it. "I _guess_ you can go, if you're sure you'll be quiet and well-behaved?"

"We will Sir, I promise!"

"I guess in that case you can go."

Matt squealed. "Thank you Uncle Jack, Colonel Dixon. Can I go tell Chloe?"

"Yes, off you go."

"They seem to be doing well Jack", Dave commented after Matt had left.

"I think so", Jack replied. "It's taken them awhile, but they've started to trust me and they're behaving more like normal kids." He turned to Dixon. "That's why I have to make sure Benton doesn't take them."

"Yeah, I agree. It sounds like he's a con artist all right. You know if there's anything I can do …?"

"Thanks, but taking the kids for a couple of days is already a bit help. Cassie has agreed to go over and give a hand. Are you sure you guys can handle seven kids Dave?"

Dixon grinned. "Once you reach four, you don't really notice any more", he answered. "Anyway, the kids are friends and it'll give them all something to do. I expect it'll be more of a help to Suzanne than anything, especially if Cassie is there."

Jack had been thankful that 'his' kids got along so well with the Dixons. Matt and Davey were the best of friends now, as were Chloe and Katie. They were the same ages, which helped. Jack had always liked the Dixon kids and was happy they all along well together. Even little Ali enjoyed playing with them, although she actually liked hanging around the older kids more than the younger ones.

Jack gave each of his kids a kiss and made sure they were packed and ready for a couple of days away. He was rather embarrassed at how emotional he felt that he was going to be separated from them, even if it was only for one night. Fortunately, the kids themselves were too excited to worry about leaving him. Since they didn't know he was going away too they simply thought he'd be here, waiting for their return. He and Teal'c had decided that it would be too traumatic for the children if they were told Jack was going away.

"I'll give you a call once I reach Denver", Jack said, "and let you know where I'm staying."

"Good luck with everything Jack. Get the bastards, okay!"

"I'm gonna try Dave – I'm gonna try!"

* * *

Daniel looked at the woman heading into the bar and had to suppress the urge to whistle. She was quite a looker! He was surprised Jack hadn't said anything about Emily Benton being so stunning. But then again, the Colonel preferred blonds – or at least _one_ blond in particular! He grinned when he thought of the expression he'd caught on Jack's face a couple of times lately, when he was looking at Sam. Soon however he refocused on the woman who was waiting to be seated. She really was gorgeous – with black hair, luscious red lips and a body to die for.

Daniel had arrived a couple of hours previously, after being dropped a few blocks from the hotel by Sam. He'd gotten settled in his room and had then gone to try and locate Emily Benton. He was a bit worried because of the size of the hotel, but in actual fact it had been quite easy. All he'd had to do was to bribe a young bellhop with twenty bucks. He'd known immediately who Daniel was referring to – which wasn't surprising now that he'd seen her.

He waited by the entrance as Emily followed the maitre d' to a seat. He stood waiting for the man to return and then surreptitiously handed him another twenty. "Something by the lady you just seated", he said quietly. The man simply nodded and then led him to a table right beside hers.

Daniel glanced around casually, wanting to make sure Ronald Benton wasn't anywhere in sight. When Emily went ahead and ordered he figured she was here on her own.

It was after the waiter had brought her drink that he noticed she kept glancing his way. A couple of minutes later he realized that she was checking him out – and she wasn't being particularly subtle about it either. Jack, you were so right, he thought to himself. She is definitely more than a housewife – unless she's a desperate one! Well, there's no time like the present, he thought.

"So, is someone joining you?" he looked over and asked, trying to sound like a man of the world. He hoped he sounded confident but in actual fact he couldn't remember the last time he'd tried to pick up a woman. Hell, he didn't know if he ever _had_ tried to pick one up!

"No", she pouted. "I'm afraid I'm on my own tonight and it's kind of lonely. What about you?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm on my own as well. Uh – maybe we should join forces. That way neither of us will be so lonely."

She looked at him carefully, but then finally smiled. God, he thought, that smile would seduce Thor! "That sounds nice." She said, her voice smooth as honey. "Why don't you join me?" She nodded at the empty chair at her small table.

Daniel stood up and moved over. He caught the eye of the maitre d', who smiled slightly and gave him a two finger salute.

"Hi", she reached out her hand. "I'm Emily."

"Brian", he shook her hand, using the name he and Sam had decided on. "So, what brings you to Denver Emily", Daniel asked the woman across from him. "I assume since you're staying at the hotel you're not from here?"

"No, I'm from Pitts – ur Grand Rapids." She corrected. The way she said it made it sound like Grand Rapids wasn't a nice place to be.

"Really?" Daniel replied. "I don't know too much about it. Is it a nice city?"

"It's okay", she answered with a grimace. "It's not really my cup of tea though – or maybe I should say it's not my glass of champagne! I prefer places with a bit more – _excitement._"

"Yeah, I can understand that", he answered. "I like excitement myself."

"Really?" she purred. "So tell me – what kinds of things do you do that are - _exciting_?"

God – she was flirting pretty heavily already. "Uh – well, I do a lot of travelling to exotic places. I'm a civil engineer" he continued with the character he'd worked out beforehand, "and I have to go to some pretty wild – uh – countries. You never know what you'll find in all the off the map places."

"Have you ever been in danger?" she leaned forward, her breathing faster.

Daniel gulped as he watched her lick her crimson lips. She seemed turned on by the idea of him in danger. He'd never been into the macho, danger-man image that some of the soldiers he knew were. In fact, he'd always despised that part of some of the men in the military. Today, however, he knew he had to be one of those guys – because Emily obviously liked that kind of guy. Here goes, he thought, pulling from him memory the persona of some of the marines he'd worked with in the past.

"Oh yeah", he replied with a lopsided grin – which was an expression he'd actually stolen from Jack at his most mysterious. "Lot's of times. I've been chased, kidnapped, shot, stabbed – you name it. Fortunately I've managed to get myself out of trouble but it's been close call a couple of times."

"You were shot?" she asked. "Where?" she asked, leaning forward even more.

"Well, it was overseas -"

"I meant where on your body silly", she interrupted with a laugh. "I've never seen a bullet wound before."

"Uh – oh, well it wasn't actually a bullet", he replied. "It was a kind of uh – blow-torch."

"A _torch_? Wow, that must have caused a lot of pain." She said it as if she was saying something good..

Daniel was beginning to wonder about sweet Emily. She seemed to be getting awfully excited by the fact of him being injured and in pain. He _really _started to wonder what kind of lady she was.

"Very", he replied shortly. "It was on my shoulder" he reached up and rubbed the spot, almost as if it still hurt. "And it left quite a scar", he said. "Of course, I have lots more of _those_. As I said, being an engineer can be pretty dangerous."

She leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry", she said, although the gleam in her eye contradicted her words, "although I do admire a man who puts himself into danger." She withdrew her hand and sat back. "But I'm sure you have some nice girl at home ready to kiss you all better when you come home wounded?"

She was fishing – he knew that. Still, her words immediately made him think of Sha're, and he suddenly felt a wave of guilt for talking and flirting with this woman. He wanted to get up and leave. Somehow he knew that spending too much time with this woman could easily make him feel like his soul was tarnished. Sadly, he knew he had to stay and act out the part – for the sake of Jack and the kids.

"No", he answered softly. "I was married years ago, but not now", he said shortly. "So I have no one to come home to - to uh - make it better."

"Oh, my poor baby", she leaned closer again and this time began to stroke his arm. He noticed briefly that her nails were long and red – and very sharp. He suddenly thought of wicked queen in Snow White and felt a shiver run down his spine. "You really have suffered, haven't you?" she said with a sigh – more of pleasure than of pain.

He shrugged, not knowing quite what to reply. "I'm okay now", he finally replied. "And I don't want to think about that right now anyway. I just want to enjoy the lovely company I'm in."

She smiled knowingly, and blinked. She then licked her lips again and Daniel could feel himself start to feel slightly hot. So sue him – he was a man and she was a very sexy woman.

"So, Brian", she said. "Tell me more about yourself."

"There isn't much more to tell", he answered, trying to look sophisticated and like he knew exactly what he was doing. "I'd _much_ rather hear about you. Tell me, what do _you_ do?"

"Do?" she grimaced. "Right now not much of anything, although I'm hoping that will soon change. I'd like to travel – maybe go on an exotic cruise sometime. Do you like cruises?"

"I've never actually been on one", he said. "Usually the places I go are not so nice and definitely too dangerous for a cruise. I prefer – flying."

"Oh, a cruise can be dangerous", she laughed as if remembering something funny. "It can also be _a lot _of fun!" This time she moved her hand to his chest and slowly ran it down all the way to his stomach.

Daniel didn't think he could get his lungs to take in any air. Besides that, his blood was rushing to places it shouldn't – at least not in public. "So", he managed to get out, when her hand moved fractionally lower, "you're hoping things will change for the better?"

"Yes, well I'm coming into some money from a long-lost cousin who just died", she explained. That's the best way to inherit, don't you think?" she asked. "You don't actually know the person so you don't feel sad, but you get their money." She giggled and looked at him expectantly.

"Uh yeah – that's great", he answered. "You're lucky. I wish I had a rich cousin – or uncle or something."

They chatted for a while longer, mostly about all the things she planned to do with the money. Not only did those things include exotic cruises, but also cars, jewelry and clothes. Not once, however, did she mention anything about her 'husband' or the kids. He was now in no doubt at all that Emily Benton was _not_ a housewife from Grand Rapids. He had as yet to figure out what she was – and knew it was vital that he find out.

"So Emily", he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "It all sounds like fun, wouldn't it be a lot _more_ fun if you had someone to go on those cruises with you." He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He could see her start to breathe faster.

"Brian - don't, don't call me that", she said breathlessly. "It's – I – I don't like that name. My friends call me Miki."

"Miki?" he questioned, his eyebrow raised.

"It's my uh middle name. And no", she took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself together. She smiled seductively, "I'd much rather _not_ go alone! Do you happen to know -" Just at that moment she glanced over his shoulder and her face instantly became pale. She pulled her hand back and stood up abruptly. "I have to go", she announced. "It's been – fun." Without saying any more she walked away, although she did stop briefly at the front of the bar to speak to the Maitre d'. She signed the check he handed her and then took something out of her purse and gave it to him. After that she left, without a backward glance.

Daniel sat at the table, wondering about what had just happened. He glanced around as casually as he could in time to see Emily – no 'Miki' talking to a dark-haired man out in front of the bar. The man put his arm around her back and they headed to the elevator.

"Must be 'Ronald'", said Daniel softly to himself.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see the Maitre d' standing beside him. "The lady asked me to give you this." He handed a folded note to Daniel, who absentmindedly reached into his wallet and gave him a tip.

"Thank you." He waited until the man was gone, idly thinking that the Maitri d' was making a lot of money off of him tonight. Once he was sure no one was watching, he opened the note.

"_Meet me in the sauna at 8:00 tonight", _the note read. It was signed simply '_M'_.

He looked at his watch. He only had a couple of hours to go. He was glad he'd remembered to pack his bathing suit. He frowned slightly – well, she'd get her wish to see some of his scars!

* * *

After Sam had dropped Daniel off she made her way to the valet parking at the hotel. She then checked herself in and waited. It was slightly over an hour later that her phone rang.

"Sam hi. It's Daniel. I found out that they're in room 1214. The bellboy pointed out Emily to me but I haven't seen Ronald. I'm going to go see if I can strike up a conversation with her."

"Okay Daniel, thanks. Just be careful, okay?"

"Not much is going to happen to me in the hotel bar Sam. And you be careful too!"

Unlike Daniel she hadn't had much luck. She came down to the lobby just in time to see Daniel head into the bar. At one point she walked around, and was able to look in to see him sitting at the same table as a dark-haired beauty. She was a little surprised the Colonel hadn't mentioned that Emily Benton was gorgeous – although a small part of her was glad he hadn't. Still, looking at Daniel's face she could tell that he at least was appreciative. She just hoped he would keep thinking with his head and not – other parts of his body!

She ended up sitting on a small bench just to the side of the bar and stayed and watched the people come and go in the hotel lobby. She sat up suddenly when she saw Emily hurrying out of the bar and making her way over to a man standing at the concierge desk. She continued to watch as they spoke to each other and then saw the man put his arm around her and the two headed for the elevator. She was pretty positive she'd just seen Ronald Benton.

She waited a while longer until Daniel came out and caught his eye as he walked past. She had to give it to him – he had acknowledged her so subtly that even someone watching wouldn't have caught it.

After waiting a few moments, she stood and headed towards the elevator and pushed the 'up' button. Once inside she pressed number 16. A few minutes later and she knocked on the door for room 1634.

"Sam", Daniel motioned her in. "You want a drink? There's a mini-bar." He walked over and pulled open the small refrigerator and peered in. "You can get a packet of cashews for $7.50. I think that must be about .75 cents a nut - or you can get a chocolate bar for $4.50."

"No thanks, although you can hand me a diet coke." She accepted it and popped the tab. "You can pay for this since I had to sit and watch you flirt with that woman all afternoon!"

"Hey, I didn't _flirt_!" When she looked at him skeptically he grinned. "Okay, so maybe I did. But that's what I was supposed to do. And I didn't make you sit in the lobby all afternoon. You did that on your own. You could have stayed in your room and watched movies instead."

"Nah. Watching the people was much more fun. So tell me – did you find out anything about sweet Emily?"

Daniel grinned. "Not sweet Emily at all", he replied. "But rather not so sweet Miki."

"Miki?" Sam answered, sounding confused. "Are we talking about the same person here?"

"Oh yeah – it turns out Emily doesn't like her name. Her friends call her Miki." He grimaced slightly. "Jack was right. She's definitely not the 'butter wouldn't melt in your mouth' housewife she tried to portray. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's not even married to Ronald, or if she is, it's a pretty open marriage."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, although she was pretty sure she knew.

"Well, she came on to me pretty strongly", he answered, refusing to meet Sam's eyes. "She uh – likes men who are into danger."

"You told her you were _into danger?_"she exclaimed incredulously.

"Hey – I didn't give anything sensitive away – I mean, I kept to our story – about me being an engineer and everything. I just – embellished it – a little."

"Embellished – how?"

"I simply said I worked in exotic – and often dangerous locations. Look, can I help it if the woman is turned on by my scars!"

"_Daniel_!" she exclaimed. "What did you say to her?" She half laughed although she was also feeling a bit bemused by this new Daniel. She hoped again that Em – Miki – wasn't getting to him.

"I just told her I'd been injured and that I had lots of scars." He got a rather self-satisfied look on his face. "I'm pretty sure she wants to see them."

Sam just shook her head, wondering at the minds of men. She was transported briefly back to the episode with Hathor – and kind of wished she had Janet here with her. For some reason she got quite a bit of satisfaction out of imagining zatting Miki. "Daniel, this woman is dangerous", she warned. "Don't let her dark hair and big eyes suck you in!"

"I won't Sam", he said with a frown. "You know me better than that!"

"Yes", she started to apologize. "I guess I-"

"However, those lips – they might just do it for me!"

Sam threw a pillow at him. "If you get into trouble with little miss housewife, don't look to me to come and rescue you", she warned. "Men!" she breathed under her breath. Daniel simply grinned and took a sip of his ginger ale.

"So, did you learn anything else?" she asked, "Or were you too mesmerized by those lips?"

"Sam – don't be catty! Of course I tried to learn as much as I could but I did have to flirt with her to get her to loosen up." He suddenly grew serious. "I did find out that she's afraid of Benton – at least afraid of him finding out that she was speaking to another man."

"But that's not uncommon Daniel", Sam interjected. "No woman – or man for that matter – wants to get caught with someone else."

"I know that – but based on her expression this was more than that. She looked absolutely terrified."

"So, that probably means that Ronald is capable of violence -"

"Or at least some kind of threat", Daniel interrupted. "For all we know he could be blackmailing her with something about her past."

Sam frowned. "What _is_ her past?" she asked. "I'd better get on the computer and see if I can find anything on a 'Miki'"

"Oh, one other thing", he said. "I think she's from Pittsburgh. When I asked her where she was from she started to say 'Pitts' but then quickly changed it to Grand Rapids."

"Pittsburgh? Okay, that will narrow my search down – if she is, in fact from there. Anything else?"

"Other than that she's been on cruises, likes fast cars and expensive items – no, not much."

"That's okay Daniel – you've actually done amazing work. There's a lot more to go on than we had before. I am worried about you meeting her though; and in the _sauna_? That sounds like a bad mafia movie!"

"I know. I expect it's a place she knows is safe from Ronald. Maybe he has an aversion to steam. It'll probably melt his hair!"

"Okay – just be careful! I don't like this but I can't think of anything else to do right now. I'll have to see if I can meet Ronald tomorrow."

"Sam, just relax okay? I'm totally able to look after myself", Daniel said with some irritation. "You watch out for yourself and let me deal with Miki. Maybe tonight we'll be able to find out something that can help Jack and the kids."

"God – I hope so Daniel", Sam said, sounding frustrated and tired. "I don't know what we'll do if we can't. It will destroy the Colonel!"

_**Just a note on punctuation: I got a kind critique from a reviewer about my use of commas and quotation marks (please note that I really do appreciate these kinds of reviews – any constructive criticism can only help an author improve!). I must admit, however, I was slightly confused because I clearly remembered being taught about commas – so looked it up! It turns out that the comma inside the quotation mark is an American usage. The way I have been doing it is British or Canadian – so both are correct. Since I went to school in Canada I learned it this way. Although I try and use American spelling in my stories (color rather than colour; theater rather than theatre) when it comes to punctuation I will probably continue the way I have been since it would be very difficult for me to change at my age (and hey – it's homage to the fact that the majority of the actors in the series were Canadian and it was filmed in Canada – and today is Canada Day)! I do however believe **__**in using American terms in stories since the characters are American. Anyway – I really do appreciate any constructive criticism – I've received much that has definitely helped my writing – so thank you to those that take the time to send comments.**_


	13. Close Encounters

"I know, I know Teal'c. I won't go into the hotel, although it's killing me! You'll have to check things out and let me know. I can stay somewhere close by; there are lots of hotels in downtown Denver. God, I hate this!"

"Do you not trust Daniel Jackson and Major Carter?" Teal'c asked his companion, as they drove towards the city.

"Of course I do!" Jack said indignantly.

"Then why do you worry so much?" the other man asked gently. "They have been in many dangerous situations and have always vanquished their enemies."

"I don't know Teal'c", he replied, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "I just have a really bad feeling about this one. For some reason it just seems – worse – since this whole thing is happening on earth. I know all of you – us – can handle the worst alien threats, but I feel like we're out of our element here."

"Did you not spend many years fighting foes on your own planet before travelling through the Stargate?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes – of course I did, although it somehow feels like that was a lifetime ago. And Carter – well she was in the Gulf war but it's a different thing when you're flying. She was never involved in any kind of black ops or undercover missions. And then there's Daniel -"

"Daniel Jackson has become a most adept warrior."

Jack cracked a short laugh. "He'd be appalled to hear you say that and anyway – he's not any more used to undercover work than Carter. I feel like I sent him into battle ill-prepared."

"You are too concerned O'Neill", Teal'c admonished. "They are both wise and courageous."

"I know", Jack answered quietly. "I guess – it's just that this is personal and I'd feel terrible if anything happened because I asked them to help me."

"Do you not know that they would help regardless of whether you asked them or not, as would I. That is what friendship is O'Neill."

"I know Teal'c – it just doesn't make me any less worried."

"Then let me watch out for them", the big man stated calmly. "The Bentons do not know me."

"Yeah, although you aren't exactly nondescript" Jack laughed.

"Sometimes it is best to hide in plain sight."

Jack glanced over at him again, his brow raised. "You been studying earth cliché's Teal'c?"

"Indeed O'Neill – there are many wise sayings among the Tauri. Does not one of your holy books also tell you to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself?"

"Yeah, but it's not tomorrow that I'm worried about – it's right now and then three days from now. Hell, we've got to figure this out Teal'c, and make sure no one gets hurt in the process."

They drove in silence for a while longer. The drive to Denver was relatively short, but to Jack it felt like forever. He knew Teal'c was right, that both Daniel and Sam could look after themselves – it didn't mean he wasn't going to worry. Until he saw them both safe in front of him he'd continue to fret!

"Have you not heard anything about the finger prints O'Neill?" Teal'c finally broke the silence.

Jack sighed. "Yeah, Siler called and they came back negative – no record at all. Of course all that means is that neither Ronald nor Emily have a record – it doesn't mean they are legitimate or that Ronald really is Ross' brother. Sadly, unlike DNA, finger prints can't determine if he's related to the kids."

The silence returned and Jack again thought of his two teammates. The last they'd heard from either of them was that Daniel had made contact with Emily and had determined her real name – or at least the one she preferred - was Miki. Sam was going to pursue that angle and also see if she could meet Ronald. He'd wanted to order her to stay away, but knew it was more than his life was worth to try. She'd definitely rip him a new one – in her respectful, 'Sir' kind of way – but something he didn't want to experience anytime soon. Because he'd asked Daniel to check out the woman, it would look like he didn't trust her if he pulled her back now.

He thought briefly of his 2IC – and wished, for the umpteenth time, that Air Force regulations didn't exist. Oh, in theory he believed in them, understood why they were necessary – that didn't mean he liked the fact that they kept him from – things. He pictured her again with the two girls, all three of them looking totally adorable. He knew he had seen a taste of what, for him, was heaven. He also knew it could never be and that brought on a feeling of melancholy he hadn't experienced in a while. He had been pretty sure he'd dealt with his feelings for her long ago. Something about this whole situation – being part of a family again – had caused those feelings to flare up again.

"Are you alright O'Neill?" Teal'c's voice broke into his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, why?" He glanced at his friend.

"Because you sighed heavily", said his friend. "They are fine my friend. You must not worry."

Jack gave a brief smile, relieved that Teal'c thought he was sighing out of concern for his team rather than because of inappropriate thoughts about Sam. "Okay, I'll try not to – just make sure you watch them Teal'c."

They arrived a few minutes later and Jack dropped Teal'c off at the hotel. Fortunately the alien Jaffa had been on earth long enough to establish an identity and to obtain credit, all in the name of T. Murray. It had taken Jack a while to explain credit cards to his friend and at first there had been a few problems as Teal'c had gone crazy ordering things over the internet. It was when a trampoline and a laser hair remover wand had arrived at the SGC that Hammond had told him to explain the intricacies of credit and consumerism. Now, he was much more responsible with his card, although occasionally strange things still showed up. He couldn't help but shake his head over the 'walk on water' ball that Teal'c had purchased. Although he had to admit he was looking forward to trying it out at the lake this summer!

"Call me when you know anything Teal'c", he said as his friend went to get out of the car.

"I will O'Neill." He retrieved his luggage from the trunk and then waited until Jack had driven away. At that point he turned and made his way into the hotel. "Do not worry, my friend", he said softly to himself. "I will not let anything happen to Daniel Jackson or Major Carter."

When Teal'c finally entered his room he had to stop for a moment in surprise. The only other time he had gone to a hotel had been with O'Neill and both times they had stayed at places much less elegant than this one. He checked out the room and was quite pleased to discover the 'mini-bar', stocked with lots of food. This was a good thing, he knew, as he tended to get hungry and need regular snacks. He just hoped the food would be enough to last him until the next day. This Westin Hotel was very generous!

He sat gingerly on the bed, and with eyebrows raised in surprise, leaned back against the mound of pillows. He still was not quite used to sleeping every night, although now his body needed the rest with his symbiote gone. Still, he believed if he had a bed like this one at the SGC he could quite easily get used to the eight hours of sleep most humans seemed to need.

Resting comfortably, and munching on a handful of nuts, he pulled out his cell phone and attempted to contact Major Carter. He had had no luck so far today and even though he had cautioned O'Neill against worrying, he could not help but be concerned.

* * *

Daniel made his way to the sauna for the nine o'clock meeting with Miki. He had his bathing suit on and had borrowed the hotel robe and slippers. He felt rather silly, marching down the hall in nothing but a bathrobe, but then laughed. All he needed was a bottle of champagne and two glasses and he'd feel like a cheap imitation of James Bond.

"Hello", he said, in a posh English accent. "My name is Daniel, Daniel Jackson – and I'd like my drink shaken, not stirred!" He heard a sound and looked around quickly, only to see one of the housekeeping staff grinning at him. He could feel himself blush slightly, but then shrugged – hell, she didn't know him so why should he care.

By the time he made it to the sauna he had begun to feel nervous. He didn't know if this was simply Miki's way of staging a seduction, or if there was anything more at play here. Well if she wanted to seduce him he certainly wasn't about to do anything in a sauna, for God's sake. Damn it Jack, he thought, how do you always seem to get me in these weird situations.

When he arrived in the exercise room he was puzzled to see the 'Out of Service' sign on the door of the sauna. He shrugged, figuring that Miki/Emily hadn't known it wasn't working and was about to turn away when the door opened.

"What are you waiting for?" Miki asked. He looked at her in surprise, not expecting to see her – and _certainly_ not expecting to see her naked – at least from the waist up.

"Uh – it says it's out of order", he pointed at the sign.

"That was me silly", she answered with a grin. "I didn't want anyone to disturb us. I bribed the bellman too. He's going to come by and lock the door and put another sign on the outer door."

Crap! "Uh – won't he get in trouble?" he asked, hoping for a way out.

"No. He's the one in charge and anyway, it usually closes at ten. Now come on, quite talking and get in here. I feel like getting sweaty!" She gave him a very naughty look and re-entered the sauna. With a deep breath he followed her.

She was lying on one of the benches, the towel just barely covering her from the waist to mid-thigh. Her chest was still as bare as it had been seconds ago and he had to work hard – very hard – not to stare, although he was pretty sure that was the point of the whole exercise. And he really didn't know why he was embarrassed anyway. He'd been to lots of places, both on earth and off, where the women ran around semi-naked and many where they ran around _completely_ naked. It's not like he had never seen a woman's – but in most of those instances (he tried not to think of the few exceptions) the women hadn't been intent on seducing him.

He took his robe off and hung it on a hook by the door and then laid his towel on a different bench and lay down, wondering what Miki was planning for this strange rendezvous.

"So – you do have scars", she said. "Quite a few of them."

"Uh yeah – I'm sorry if it bothers you."

"Bothers me?" she laughed. "I like them."

The next thing he knew she had moved and was sitting at his head. She reached out and moved the hair off his forehead. "You're a handsome man Brian", she said softly. "Just the kind of man I like. A good-looking man, but one who's experienced life." She moved her hand down and her fingers began to trace the staff burn scar on his shoulder. "I also like a man with experience."

Daniel slowly sat up, feeling much too vulnerable lying down. "I don't know about experience", he said. "I've spent most of my life travelling." Which was the truth, although he wasn't about to tell her where. "I'm afraid I don't have much – experience – with beautiful women." That was also true, although there had been a few including Sha're and a few after her.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked in a sultry tone of voice.

"Oh yes – definitely", he answered. Beautiful like a viper, he thought. He felt a sudden shiver, even in the scorching heat of the sauna, when he realized he'd just thought of Miki as a snake. She might not be a Goa'uld, but he was pretty sure she was about as dangerous as one.

"I'm glad." She turned to him and leaned in. "So, let's not be lonely – together." With those words she pushed him back down on the bench and got on top of him, her bare chest pressed against his.

Daniel felt the heat in the room go up to an impossible temperature. He wondered briefly if he was going to survive!

* * *

Sam stayed in her hotel room for a while, but at nine o'clock, the time she knew Daniel was meeting Miki, she decided to go to the bar for a drink. Maybe she'd get lucky! She grinned, acknowledging that those words meant something very different than they would coming from most people. Luck, for her right now, would be running in to Ronald Benton. On another day, in another context it would definitely have to do with one handsome, gray-haired, Air Force – stop it Sam! She shook her head. What was wrong with her? She thought she'd put those feelings to rest a long time ago. Lately however, she'd begun to have feel – ur fantasies about her commanding officer.

"So not a smart move Sam", she muttered out loud. "He thinks of you as a friend, no more." Still she couldn't help but think of him with the kids, and how much a life with a family like that suddenly appealed to her. For the first time, in a long time – no, in forever – her career didn't seem to be the most important thing in her life.

"Get a grip girl!" she said to herself. "Keep your mind on the reason you're here!" She just wished he wasn't so damned sexy!

She dressed in something nice, but not too fancy. She didn't want to look as if she was on the prowl for a man. She did want to attract Benton though – if she could. She had no idea if it would work, even if he was around. For all she knew he was happily married to Emily, or he preferred brunettes – or he was gay. Well, whatever he was like – nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"And you'd hate me using clichés, Colonel", she laughed and made her way to the elevator.

Over the next hour she had to fend off quite a few advances from various men in the bar. Most of them were guys on business trips who were looking for a little action. She sighed in disgust – most of them were wearing wedding rings. Her thoughts jumped back to the Colonel – if there was one thing she knew about him, she thought, it was he'd be faithful to any woman he married. There was nothing he hated more than betrayal, of any kind. She'd heard through the grapevine that when he'd been married to Sara it was well known that he didn't fool around, even when he'd been away for long periods of time on missions. It turned out he'd been the butt of quite a few jokes because of it, but it made her admire him all the more.

"Are you waiting for someone?" a voice asked at her elbow.

She looked up, ready to tell the man that 'yes, she was waiting for her professional boxer husband', when she realized who was speaking to her. "Uh – no", she replied. "I just came down for a quick drink before bed." She cringed when she realized how that must have sounded. "I mean – I'm alone but not -" she stumbled to a halt. Hell – this was so not her thing.

He laughed. "I understand. I don't mean to presume, but I thought you looked like an attractive and intelligent woman and I was wondering if I might join you?"

She looked at him pensively for a moment. It's not that she didn't want him to join her – that had been her whole purpose in coming after all – it's just that she didn't want to look too eager. Besides that, she was rather surprised at how – charming – he seemed. She'd been expecting a smarmy, oily salesman type. Instead she was looking at an attractive, dark haired man with a sincere looking face. Oh well, she guessed to be a successful con-man you had to make people believe you and like you.

"I guess the answer is no", he said with a smile.

He started to move away when she started. "No", she said loudly, too loudly. She coughed in embarrassment as he turned around with a quizzical look on his face. "I'm sorry, please do join me. I was just -" she stopped.

"- just making sure I wasn't one of the creeps who've been coming on to you all evening?"

She looked at him in surprise. "You noticed? I didn't see you."

"I know", he grinned. "I was sitting over there, watching you for the last hour. I liked how you handled all the uh -"

"- idiots?" she asked.

"Yes", he laughed. "All the idiots. I really didn't mean to join their ranks, but I must admit I was intrigued."

"Intrigued?" she asked, her head tilted in inquiry.

"Well, it may sound clichéd but I wondered why a beautiful woman like you was all alone, in a bar in a hotel in Denver. You don't have to answer if you don't want to", he went on to say.

"No", she laughed, "That's okay. I'm here on business – or at least for a conference – and the reason I'm alone is I booked late and couldn't get a room at the conference hotel. I was bit tired tonight, although not ready for sleep, so that's why I came down."

"I see – dare I ask what conference?"

He smiled and she again realized how charming he was. "It's the National Association for Gifted Children", she told him. "I'm a teacher and I run the gifted program at my school." Sam used the cover that had been agreed upon. The Colonel had made some phone calls and it should hold up to any kind of enquiry, although if Ronald looked into it too closely it wouldn't. Still, they'd figured that in the small amount of time they had he really couldn't find anything too damning.

"A teacher? Somehow that doesn't surprise me", he replied. "You look like you'd be good with kids."

"I like them", she replied truthfully. "They're usually so honest, unlike a lot of adults I know!" There, see how you deal with that, she thought.

"True", he replied sincerely. "So, do you have any of your own?" He glanced down at her hand, seemingly checking to see if she was married.

"No. I'm afraid I'm still single – no husband or kids", she laughed. "How about you?"

He grinned. "Well, I may be getting some kids sooner than I thought", he answered. He completely avoided the marriage question though, she noted. "A family member passed away and I'm the closest relative so I've been asked to take custody of his three kids."

"Really? Wow – that's going to be hard", she said. "How old are they?"

"I don't really know", he answered, "Young I guess. Yeah, it'll be hard", he suddenly grinned, "but there are compensations."

"Compensations?" she asked, wondering how he'd answer this one.

"Mmm hmm", he answered with a small smile. "But let's not talk about kids when I'd much rather find out more about you." He frowned and leaned forward. "And I don't even know your name!"

"No, you don't", she laughed. "And I don't know yours either, so we're even."

He stood up and bowed slightly. "Ron Benton, at your service", he said. "I'm charmed to meet you Ms ?"

"Perdue, Stephanie Perdue."

"Ms Perdue." He grinned again – he did that a lot she realized – and sat down. "So okay Ms Perdue, tell me about yourself."

"You can call me Steph", she answered. "And there's really not much to tell. I told you I'm a teacher and that I live in Portland. I have two parents, a brother and a sister, all who live in Portland, and a cat named Bartholomew."

Ronald seemed to find that funny and laughed and soon they were comparing notes about pets they'd had as children. Sam found herself actually enjoying the evening and the company of the charming Ronald Benton. It came as a surprise then, when the waiter came over and told them the bar was closing.

Sam looked at her watch. "I didn't realize it was so late", she said, standing up. "This has been a lovely evening Ron, thank you."

"But why does it have to end?" he asked. "The night is still young. Why don't we go somewhere else where they don't close down so early – that is, unless you need to get to bed?"

She considered his offer briefly, but then decided to go for it. It _was_ in the line of duty, right? She suddenly felt funny – she'd been enjoying herself so much she'd lost sight of the fact that she was supposed to be finding out information about Ron. After a couple of hours talking to him though, she was almost convinced he was simply a nice guy doing the right thing. By this time she'd totally forgotten 'Emily'.

"Okay", she answered, throwing caution to the wind. Why not go out and have some fun, even if she was working. It's not like she had anyone waiting at home. She thought briefly of the Colonel and felt a small stab of guilt. He's your commanding officer Sam – and a friend – nothing more.

"So", she asked as they walked out of the hotel, "tell me about these kids you're inheriting." There – back on track!

"Oh, they're just kids. I told you, they're related to me and I'm now their guardian."

"Are they here with you then?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"No. They're staying with a friend right now. I'll pick them up on Saturday."

She watched him out of the corner of her eye and thought that he seemed to have changed moods abruptly. Gone was the charming, happy-go-lucky man of the last couple of hours. Instead he looked and sounded almost angry.

"I see", she said softly. She rubbed her arms briskly, trying to warm them up. She should have grabbed a jacket from her room as the temperature had dropped substantially.

They'd walked a couple of blocks away from the hotel but had as yet to find an open bar or lounge. Sam was starting to feel really cold and was about to suggest they head back to the hotel when Ron suddenly grabbed her arms and gently pushed her against the side of a building. He then leaned forward and moved his hands to either side of her shoulders and looked down at her.

She stared back up at him, mesmerized by his eyes, which seemed to be trying to reach into her soul. She kept telling herself that this man was a con artist, that he was trying to get the kids and the money that came with them. She tried thinking about the Colonel – but that only caused her to feel guilty, when what she wanted to feel was –

His lips pressed against hers …


	14. Sleeping with the Enemy

_**A quick and sincere thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I will try to get back to people as I can - although as always my time is incredibly tight. I apologize that it's taking me a while to get these chapters up - it's been a busy time for me.**_

_**Thanks again!**_

He was going crazy! He had paced back and forth across his hotel room so many times he was sure he was going to be charged for wearing out the carpet. He'd finally gone down to the bar, which turned out to be full of a bunch of loud mouthed salesmen in town for a convention. After ordering a drink he'd quickly turned around went back to his room.

He was tempted to call Teal'c again, but his friend had told him, in no uncertain terms, that he should stop calling, that he would call as soon as he found out anything. So far, the phone had not rung. To make matters worse, he missed his kids and worried about them. He'd already called Suzanne Dixon, who'd told him they were just fine and were happily playing in the backyard with her kids, under the careful supervision of Cassie.

He felt completely useless, a feeling he hated with a passion. One of the reasons he'd gone into the Air Force in the first place was because he needed to feel like he was making a difference, that he was helping. To sit around in a seedy hotel, with nothing to do, was almost as bad as a visit to Chez Ba'al.

When the phone finally rang he just about jumped out of his skin.

* * *

Daniel had convinced Miki that they would enjoy themselves much more if they weren't in a sauna. Not only did the sticky heat bother him, he really, really didn't want to be caught out by some night security guard having sex in a public place. He smirked to himself; he was pretty sure it would spoil his 'James Bond' image.

She'd pouted a bit but finally agreed to back off – literally. She sat up and stared at him, a speculative look in her eye, as if she were trying to figure out if he was really interested in her or not. He tried to appear as if he was turned on – which he kind of was – but paradoxically he was also really turned _off_. There was something about the woman that both attracted and repelled at the same time.

"So, where do you want to go jungle man?" she finally asked.

"_Jungle Man_?" he repeated with a quirk of his brow.

"Yes", she smiled a rather feral smile. "Don't tell me you didn't get some of these", she touched a scar on his chest with her finger, "in a jungle somewhere. I think I should just call you Indiana."

"Uh – he wasn't an engineer", he said, worried at the comparison which hit rather close to home. Hopefully she wouldn't realize that.

"Come on", she said, ignoring his comment. She stood up and put out her hand. "Let's shower and then we can go to your room. It's much nicer than mine."

He allowed her to take his hand and pull him up. As he followed her towards the showers he asked, "how do you know that?" You haven't been to my room."

"Oh, anything's nicer than mine", she said, although she didn't elaborate. "The – ambiance – is rather stuffy."

Daniel figured it was probably that Ronald Benton was in her room and he was pretty sure the guy wouldn't be too happy to see his sweet Emily being brought home by another man. Although by this time he was convinced that this couple either had a totally open relationship, or they weren't married at all.

The shower did little or nothing to cool him off. In fact, it pretty much had the opposite effect and almost caused him to change his mind about sex in public places. The only thing that stopped him was the sound of someone trying to get in the exercise room. Fortunately the door was locked, but it startled both of them and allowed him to get his libido under control. He quickly slipped out of the shower and put his robe back on and waited for Miki to finish. While he was waiting he wondered what the hell he should do. If he took her back to his room he was pretty sure how this evening would end – the problem was, he didn't know whether he wanted that or not. His body was screaming yes – his mind was telling him to cool it.

The other thing that was bothering him was the fact that so far he hadn't really found out anything substantial about Miki/Emily after she'd revealed her preferred name. He hoped that Sam was having better luck and wondered briefly if he should give her a call, although that might be a bit difficult in his present situation.

"Coming?" Miki asked.

He started, and turned to her. "Uh yeah. Say, you want to go get a drink first? The sauna made me thirsty and I wouldn't mind a beer."

"Mini-bar", was all she said. She took his hand and pulled him along.

"Yeah- but it doesn't have music", he said desperately. "You know, as much as I want – uh – you, I'd really like to spend a little more time getting to know you. How about we go out somewhere and listen to some music or go dancing?" Please let her say yes, he thought.

"Let's stop in your room first", she said, "then we can think about dancing." She grabbed him without warning and pressed her lips against his.

If he'd thought the sauna was steamy, it held nothing to Miki's kisses. He was almost tempted to take her right here and now in the hallway.

It was Miki herself who quashed that idea. She pulled away and turned and began walking down the hall. "Coming Indiana?", was all she said and then she was gone into the elevator.

Daniel stood for a minute, trying to get his breathing and other parts of his body under control. "Hell!" he muttered. "What I don't do for my friends." With that he chose to run down the four flights to his room.

* * *

Oh my God! The truth flashed through her the second his lips touched hers. She should not be standing here with this man, kissing him. He was probably a criminal, a con man, for god's sake! Memories of Jonas Hanson returned and she realized she'd done it again. In her search for love – or even just some human contact, she'd allowed a smooth talking jerk to make her believe he was truly a caring man.

As Ron deepened the kiss, she realized something even more important. That even if she couldn't have what she wanted in this life, there was no way she should be accepting second best. She owed it to herself and to – others – to stay true to herself. On that thought she pulled back suddenly and only just restrained herself from wiping her lips with her hand.

"What's wrong beautiful", he said softly. He leaned forward for another kiss but she moved sideways, and managed to move away. "Hey", he frowned, looking perplexed. "What's the matter?"

She knew she couldn't tell him the truth, that she'd been seduced by his looks and his charm, but that her eyes had suddenly been opened. She didn't want a slick, sophisticated man – no, she wanted a man who was honest and trustworthy and brave. She refused to think who that was but knew it wasn't Ronald Benton.

"I'm sorry", she said softly, not wanting to anger him. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Hell, what had she been doing? She was on a mission, for god's sake – even if it was a personal one rather than for the Air Force. How could she have gotten so far off track? "I'm – " she smiled slightly. "It's been a long time. I'm sorry."

She was sure she saw a flash of anger and something else in his eyes, but the next thing she knew he was smiling.

"Well, good things are worth waiting for", he said. "And you're definitely good."

She felt like rolling her eyes as she thought about what the Colonel would say right about now. That thought was swiftly followed by a surge of guilt. How could she possibly have been attracted to this man? He was so – so _not_ what she liked in a man.

"Thank you", she forced herself to sound sincere. "I didn't mean to lead you on", she continued. "It's just my last uh relationship ended rather badly. I _am_ enjoying the evening." She was pretty sure that Ronald was angry – there was something about him that made her think this man didn't like anyone to say no to him. But, he was hiding it carefully and she knew it was important that she continue to appear sweet and slightly naïve. "I hope you're not angry with me?" She batted her eyelashes at him, and almost laughed at herself. Could you be any more pathetic Sam, she asked herself.

"Of course not", he said, not so sincerely. "Let's go back to the hotel. I'm – you're cold."

Just before they reached the hotel he put out his hand and grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"What?" she asked him, her face showing nothing but mild embarrassment and curiousity.

"I think I deserve a kiss", he said. Without letting her agree or disagree, he pulled her sharply to him and plastered her mouth with his.

She tried to respond - or at least not to pull away –but it was hard. Whereas the first kiss had startled her by its revelation of the truth, this kiss actually repelled her. At it continued, she began to feel nauseous. She knew that she had to pretend, however, to go along with this. She was sure that if she tried to back off she wouldn't see Benton again. He was not one to take any form of rejection.

Her acting ability seemed to fool him because when he pulled his head away he was smiling. It was not a smile of shared pleasure or excitement, but one of conquest. He figured he was impossible to resist and that she would be weak with passion and desire.

Well I've dealt with guys _way_ more arrogant and egotistical than you buddy, she thought to herself – and I've zatted a bunch of them. She smiled softly to herself – finally feeling her courage and steadiness return.

"Liked that, didn't you?" he stated confidently, reading her smile totally incorrectly. "I knew I could make you forget whatever bad experience you've had."

"It was – very - nice", she said, not knowing what else to say.

"Nice?" he laughed. "Why don't we go somewhere private and I can show you something more than nice!"

Oh yeah right! Talk about a load of crap. She really wished the Colonel were here so she could hear his sarcastic comments about this guy. Ronald was turning out to be a walking cliché! She almost expected him to invite her up to see his 'etchings'.

"I'm afraid it's getting late", she said, although she added a regretful smile. "How about we meet up for breakfast? I'm afraid – things are going a bit fast for me, but I would like to see you again."

She watched as his eyes narrowed and thought for a moment that he was going to lose control. But again, he seemed to pull himself together. You wouldn't want to destroy your carefully crafted image, would you Ronald, she said to herself.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" he asked softly. "I could tell that you like me so why don't we take this to your room? We could get to know each other better without all these people around."

"I don't know you well enough", she told him. "I like you – I do – but I'd have to know more about you before I'd ask you up to my room."

"What's there to know?" he asked sarcastically. "You want my social security number? My finger prints? How about my DNA? Would that be enough?"

Well actually … she really wished she could get his DNA. "No, that's not what I mean. I – look, a woman has to be careful." She glanced at her watch. "It's really late and I want to go to bed – alone" she said when she saw him start to speak. "I told you, if you want to continue this it'll have to be in the morning. Why don't we meet for breakfast, get to know each other a bit better and – see how it goes?"

She kept her fingers crossed that he'd agree – although the thought of spending any more time with him was hard to contemplate. Still … for the Colonel she'd do it.

"Fine", he said shortly, with obvious anger threading through his voice. He then took a deep breath and gave her another one of his 'Mr. Charming' smiles. "You don't know what you're missing Steph", he said softly. "When you're all alone tonight, rather than with me, you'll be wishing you'd changed your mind."

She smiled back, although she was positive it had come out looking more like a grimace. God, he really was reminding her of a Goa'uld with every passing second. She almost expected him to tell her to 'kneel before him' before the night was done.

"I'm sure I will", she answered. "But just think what the anticipation will do for both of us!" There! Two could play this game.

He laughed out loud at that. "I really do like you Stephanie", he said. "If it wasn't for that …" The threat went unuttered but she couldn't help the small measure of satisfaction that flowed through her. She obviously had him intrigued.

"So – breakfast tomorrow?" she suggested again.

"Okay, breakfast, but I get to choose the location. Meet me in the lobby at 8:00." He took her hand and kissed it and then whispered into it – "I'll be thinking of you Miss Stephanie Purdue – and wishing you were with me." Slowly letting go of her hand he turned and headed through the door of the hotel without looking back at her once.

She stood there for a few minutes, contemplating all that had happened that evening. She'd had more than one revelation and was still feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything. Sadly, she hadn't found out anything about Ronald Benton – other than the fact that he was one very scary man. She was pretty sure he could hold his own against a system lord any day. She knew that the Colonel was right, and she had to be very, very careful.

As for the other revelation, the personal one, well there was no point dwelling on it since she couldn't change anything anyway. She would just have to grin and bear it, like she'd been doing for years. Somehow though, it suddenly seemed a lot harder.

With a deep sigh she walked through the hotel door, giving the bellman a nod, and made her way to her room. Once there she thought about calling the Colonel, but noticed it was really late. She could call him in the morning. As she lay down on the bed she wondered how Daniel was doing. She hoped he'd made out better than she had.

* * *

The fact was that Daniel _had_ made out – whether it was better or not, he'd have to think about later. He lay there, staring at the ceiling – the glow from the street lights gently illuminating the room. The woman beside him was snoring softly, but he refused to look at her.

He felt both sated and soiled and didn't know quite what to do. He'd allowed his baser instincts, his desires, to overrule his common sense. He had to admit to himself that at the time he had enjoyed it – so much so that all else had fled his brain. He snorted softly – yeah, all the blood cells had rushed to another part of his body and left his brain severely oxygen deprived – that was the only excuse he could think of to explain what he'd just done.

Face it Daniel, he said to himself, it's just been a long time and you were ready and waiting to get laid. God, how could he face Jack and Teal'c and – oh God – Sam, and tell them what he'd done.

Miki sighed and turned over. Her arm flew out until it was resting on him and the sheet fell until it covered her only from the waist down. He couldn't help but look and admire. She definitely was an attractive woman – at least on the outside. He really had to stop blaming himself. He'd enjoyed it and it hadn't hurt anyone. He was no longer married or even seeing anyone so there was no one to betray. Why then did he feel like he had?

He must have made some sound or movement because the next thing he knew Miki's eyes were open and she was staring at him. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You look like you've lost your best friend."

His eyes darkened as her words made him think of Sha're. She had been his best friend and yes, she was lost to him. Tonight had brought that back in Technicolor. But he had another best friend – he had Jack – and that's what this whole thing was about.

"No – I was just thinking", he said gently, still staring up.

"Oh? What about?" She turned on her side and propped her head up on her elbow. "What deep, dark thoughts do you have in there Jungle Man?"

He glanced at her at that, irritated at her calling him that. "I'm no jungle man Miki. I'm just a regular man."

"Okay then regular man – what were you thinking about?"

"About how strange life is somehow", he said. "About how easy it is to lose something important – but also about how important it is to remember what you do have." He turned his head so that he was looking at her. "Do you know what I mean? Have you ever lost anyone or anything important?"

She blinked a couple of times and he couldn't tell if she was avoiding the question, or thinking about it before answering.

"I've lost money", she said. "That's the most important thing and no, I didn't remember what I had because I had squat! I've always had squat – so now I make sure I always have money. It's what makes the world go round."

He felt a wave of sorrow for this woman. She was beautiful and not stupid – but somewhere along the way she'd become warped by her need for security. He shook his head slightly, knowing it would be dangerous to start feeling too much sympathy for her. He had to be tough and remember why he was here. It was hard though – since his first instinct was to always think the best of someone. Jack was always giving him hell about that, worried that he'd end up trusting the wrong person and get in trouble. He had to admit that Jack had reason to be worried. He'd done it more than once and had at times put his whole team in danger.

Of course there was another very good reason for feeling sympathetic and that was the fact that he'd just slept with the woman. If there was nothing good in her than he really would feel horrible. There would be nothing at all beautiful about the act they'd just shared.

"Yeah, I guess so", he'd finally answered, "although I like to believe that friendship and love are more important."

She laughed ironically. "I'm afraid you can't eat your friends." She then giggled and moved closer to him. "Or maybe you can!"

He squirmed away slightly, knowing he couldn't do this again, not now. "Uh, I have to go to the bathroom – be right back."

He took longer than he needed to but really didn't want to return to bed. With a soft groan he finally opened the door and headed back.

"I was about to come and get you", she said, patting the bed beside her. "I thought maybe you had run away."

"No." He walked over to the mini bar. "You want a drink?" he asked, pulling out a small bottle of Jack Daniels for himself. For some reason it seemed appropriate considering why he was here.

"Okay", she pulled herself up in bed until she was sitting leaning against the pillows. "Bring me a Baileys'."

He handed her the little bottle and a glass and then climbed up beside her. "So", he finally said, after taking a small sip of the whisky, "tell me some more about yourself. What brings you here to Denver?"

She didn't say anything for a moment but eventually began to speak. "I told you – I'm coming into some money. I had to come here because things are being finalized on Saturday. Once we're – I'm done, I'll head back north."

"Back to Grand Rapids?"

"Yeah?" she crinkled her nose. "Hopefully not for too long though. Once everything's done I think I'll head out to California. I've always wanted to live by the beach."

"So there's no one special in Grand Rapids?" he asked casually. "No one you'll be sorry to leave? Or will you take someone with you?"

She laughed. "No – I won't leave anyone _special_ at all. In fact, I can't wait to cut all ties to the damn place and start over with a bit of cash. I think I'd like to be in movies."

"Have you acted before?" he probed. He hoped he was sounding casual and not like he was pumping her for information.

"I've performed for years", she told him. It seemed like that was all she was ready to share because at that moment she rolled over and plastered herself on top of Daniel. "Come on, let's perform together!"

* * *

The next morning Sam woke up with a groan. She hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before, although that rarely if ever bothered her. No, the groan was for the fact that she had to meet Benton this morning. She looked at her watch – 6:50. Well, she'd better get up and get dressed. She glanced at her phone and decided it was too early to call the Colonel. She'd wait until she was ready to leave and then give him an update on what was happening. She'd also call Daniel and let him know. She briefly wondered how he'd fared with Miki.

At 7:45 she picked up her phone and dialed the Colonel's house. There was no answer so he'd probably gone out early with the kids. She suspected he was trying to keep them amused and keep everyone's mind off of what was going to happen.

She then called Daniel. The phone rang three – four – and started on the fifth ring before she heard a 'click'.

"Hello", a groggy voice answered.

"Daniel, it's me Sam. Is everything okay?"

"Sam?" He sounded half out of it.

"_Daniel_", she said sharply. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Just at that moment she distinctly heard a woman's voice – and realized what was going on. "I'm sorry. I'll call back later." She carefully put the phone down. Wow – it sounded like Daniel had definitely made out! She had to grin but then sobered up. She hoped he was okay with all of this.

She glanced at her watch then and was horrified to see it was already 8:00. She grabbed her purse and a light jacket and headed towards the lobby. She'd have to call the Colonel a little later.

Ronald was waiting for her, looking more than slightly peeved. When he saw her however, his face cleared and he was back to being the handsome, charismatic man of the night before. She knew it was all a façade and couldn't help the slight feeling of nausea that arose!

"I'm so sorry", she said. "I was talking to a friend and it went a little longer than I'd hoped."

"That's fine Stephanie. He took her hand and started to pull her towards the door. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" she wanted to know. She was leery about leaving the hotel.

"Don't worry – I told you I was going to pick the place. Just trust me."

Right – just like I trusted Hathor and Apophis and Her'uar and all those others. Still, there was nothing that she could do so she followed him back out of the hotel. This time they turned a different direction,

They chatted casually as they walked. At first Sam tried to keep track of where they were, but after traversing a number of small streets she realized she was well and truly lost.

Ronald still held on to her arm and had been walking that way the whole trip. She looked up and realized that they were in a warehouse district and there were no restaurants – no anything – in any direction. "Where is this place you're taking me?" she finally asked.

"It's just over there – see", he pointed to an old dilapidated brick building. She was about to turn and ask him where exactly, when her head exploded.

Ronald stood looking down at the woman at his feet. Blood was starting to trickle from the wound in her temple. He looked at the rock in his hand and threw it through the sewer grate. "All right Major Carter", he said softly, "let's find out what the hell you're doing." He reached down and picked her up in a fireman's hold and headed towards the building he'd pointed out. He maneuvered through the front door and down a long and dingy hallway. At the end there was another door, which he opened, and which led to the basement. Once there he moved down another long hallway until he came to a metal door. Pushing it open he walked in, still holding the woman in his arms.

Dropping her carelessly to the floor, Ronald reached down and picked up the manacle that was sitting on the ground. The other end was attached securely to the wall. With a small grin he clamped it around her ankle, as tightly as he could without cutting off full circulation and then locked it. Once he was finished he stood up and looked at the beautiful woman lying on the floor. "Too bad my dear", he said. "I really did want to sleep with you!"


	15. Disappeared

_**Vini's excuses for not updating regularly and not getting back to all my reviewers: **_

_**1. The dog ate my computer **_

_**2. I was beamed up by Thor **_

_**3. I was taken over by a Goa'uld**_

_**4. RDA invited me over for coffee**_

_**5. I was invited to the White House. **_

_**Only one of the previous list is true – you can decide which one! **_

_**My apologies – hopefully things will slow down a bit and I can get back to my first love – Jack – ur Stargate Sg1.**_

**_Note to readers: I just realized the time line might be a bit confusing for folks so here it is: Daniel and Sam go to Denver to the hotel on Wednesday and meet up with Miki and Ron that evening. Daniel spends Wednesday night with Miki and Sam meets up with Ron for breakfast on Thursday morning and then is knocked unconscious and locked up by him. Jack and Teal'c head to Denver early Thursday morning (the day after Daniel and Sam) So, Sam has already been kidnapped by the time they arrive. Hope this clears things up a bit – I realized I was writing two separate time lines which may have been hard to follow._**

* * *

When Daniel opened his eyes it took him a minute to figure out where he was and what had happened. "Oy", he groaned, as soon as he remembered. He turned his head to the left, but Miki was gone. She could be in the bathroom, but he had a suspicion she'd left. He couldn't say he was sorry.

He groaned again and struggled to a sitting position. He was both stiff and sore – it had been a while for him and he had to admit that Miki had worn him out. She was an expert in the sex department and certainly had both energy and creativity. He'd had a hard time keeping up with her.

When he finally managed to lift his head from his hands he realized it was much later than he'd originally thought. Damn, he'd slept in far past his usual time. He picked his watch up off the night table and saw that it was almost 11:00 am. Crap! He'd better call Sam and find out what she was up to. He remembered vaguely that she'd called him earlier but he'd been so exhausted that it had barely registered. He hoped she was okay.

He grew a little worried when she didn't answer either her cell phone or her room phone. Oh well, he figured, she was probably up checking things out. He was a little surprised she hadn't called back.

He got up and showered and made his way down to the lobby. It was already after 12:00 so he figured he might as well grab lunch. While he was waiting he pulled out his cell phone and called Jack. He hadn't heard from anyone and he only realized now that he'd turned off his phone.

"Hello!"

Daniel frowned slightly in surprise. Jack sounded almost frantic in his one word greeting. "Uh hi Jack, it's Daniel."

"Thank God. Where have you been? Teal'c has been trying to get a hold of you."

"Teal'c?"

"Yeah Teal'c. You know, the big guy with the – thing - on his forehead!" Jack answered sarcastically.

"I know who Teal'c is Jack – I just wondered why he was trying to get in touch with me. And anyway, I've been here the whole time."

"Yeah, well you weren't answering your phone and we can't get in touch with Carter either. What the hell were you doing?"

The silence was deafening and Jack started to worry. "Daniel?" he said, a question in his voice.

"I uh – I was with Miki", he said.

"Miki?"

"Uh Emily – she prefers to go by Miki."

"Okaaay. Daniel, what the hell's going on and where's Carter?"

"Nothing Jack. Look it's pretty obvious that she's not who she says she is – Miki, I mean, not Sam. I don't think she and Ronald are married, or at least they don't have a good marriage if they are. She uh – came on to me pretty heavily."

"And?"

"And what?" Daniel said defensively.

"And what did you do?"

"I – look Jack, we needed some information and I didn't want to make her suspicious -"

"Daniel?"

"Okay, so I slept with her. I'm a grown man Jack and if I want to sleep with a woman I can. I don't need to ask your permission."

Jack was silent, a frown marring his face. He hadn't wanted to force Daniel into doing anything like this.

"Jack?"

"Of course you can Daniel", he finally answered. "I would never tell you what to do with your personal life. I just don't want you to do something to help me out that – well, that you don't want to do."

Daniel sighed. "I know Jack – but you don't have to worry. I – look, I made the choice and it wasn't forced on me by anyone. It's been – a long time and I decided to simply – enjoy myself, okay?"

"Okay Danny. As long as you don't get hurt."

"You don't need to worry about that either. Miki is – she's not someone I'd get hurt over. It was a one night thing, which isn't something I'm usually into but hell, even I have desires now and then!"

"Even you?" Jack said with a touch of humor in his voice. "I guess my little archaeologist has finally grown up."

"Jack!" Daniel said sharply.

Jack laughed. "I'm just kidding Daniel. I'm just glad you had some fun. Now that we've cleared that up – what about Carter. I haven't heard from her either."

"I don't know", Daniel answered, sounding a bit worried himself. "I saw her last night – she was hanging around the lobby, but that's the last I heard from her. I know she was checking out Emily slash Miki but she didn't call me or anything. Maybe she met up with Ronald and spent the night -"

Daniel suddenly stopped, seeming to realize who he was speaking with. Crap – the silence on the other end of the phone was blaringly loud. "I didn't really mean that Jack", he said carefully. "I'm sure Sam wouldn't do that."

"Why not Daniel", Jack asked heavily. "She's an adult, just like you. I'm sure Carter also has – desires. It's none of my – our business anyway."

"No, probably not, but I still don't think she'd do it. That's just not Sam. She'd have to care about someone before she'd uh sleep with him, I'm sure of it."

"I'm glad _you_ are Daniel", Jack answered, his voice again thick with sarcasm.

Daniel wanted to kick himself for mentioning Ronald Benton. He knew how much Jack cared for Sam – and this was probably killing him. "Look, I'll go by her room and check. If she's not there I'll look around the hotel. She has to be here somewhere. I'll give you a call as soon as I find her, okay?"

"Yeah, okay Daniel", Jack answered heavily. "Look, I'm in Denver – at a different hotel. Teal'c is at your hotel in room 976. See if you can connect with him and let him know what's going on, okay – and for god's sake – _call me_ when you find out something – or even if you don't, okay? I'm going crazy here."

"Jack, you didn't have to come! Everything is fine here. Sam and I do know what we're doing!" Daniel was peeved – Jack O'Neill could sometimes be the biggest mother hen on the planet.

"Look Daniel, I just want to make sure everything is okay. Just talk to Teal'c and find Carter, okay?"

"Okay Jack – look, don't worry. I'll be in touch as soon as I can. Take care and don't worry – Sam's a big girl and I'm sure she's fine."

* * *

Unfortunately Sam wasn't fine. She woke up with a vicious headache and it took her a few seconds to figure out where she was. It was when she went to move that she realized her ankle was manacled. That made her sit up quickly and everything came rushing back.

"Damn!" she muttered. How the hell had she gotten herself into this situation? She _knew_ Benton was dangerous, that he wasn't who he said he was. She spent the next minute cursing herself for her stupidity. She was a soldier, and a damn good one, and there was absolutely no excuse for her to be in this kind of trouble. She'd allowed herself to get distracted and it had given Benton the opportunity he needed.

"Shit!" she yelled suddenly, and began to pull on the chain that was attached to a metal ring on the wall. It took her no time at all to face the fact that it was not coming loose. She was well and truly caught.

After forcing herself to settle down and think calmly and rationally, she confirmed to herself that she was in deep trouble. She knew Benton must have planned this. She looked around at the small room but there was absolutely nothing in it but the chain and her. There was a tiny window, high up, which let in a small bit of light, but other than that, nothing.

She tried to think back to where they'd been walking and she realized they were in an industrial part of town although she hadn't remembered seeing anyone. Surely on a Thursday morning there should have been workers out.

After looking carefully at every corner of the room, she decided to stand and see how far she could move. The chain was only a few feet long so she wasn't able to reach the door and there was nothing else of importance in the room. She could, however, stand under the window although unfortunately it was well above her head. It was too small to have been a way to escape anyway.

Sighing, she sat down, knowing there was nothing she could do now but wait. She wondered how long it would be before Benton returned – and what he would do with her when he did.

* * *

"You're not going back?" Mimi looked at him angrily. "What if someone finds her?"

"That's the beauty of the whole thing", Ronald smirked. "There's no way they can."

"You don't know that", she said sharply. "What the hell did you think you were doing? She didn't know anything. You should have just slept with her and then let her go."

He looked angry at that and stood up quickly. He poured himself a drink and then paced around the small hotel room for a few moments. "Don't tell me what to do", he finally said. "Just because you'll sleep with anyone you can get your hands on doesn't mean I'm the same."

She laughed and stood up to serve herself a drink. "Don't give me that 'holier than thou' crap. You're as bad as me." She laughed again. "She refused you, didn't she? That's why you knocker her out – she pissed you off."

"Don't be ridiculous. I got rid of her because she's a danger. She knew something, I could tell. Samantha Carter is a brilliant woman and we couldn't have her figuring things out and telling O'Neill."

"Yeah, and what do you think everyone's going to think now? Before they just were suspicious but now they're going to _know _something's wrong."

"Not if they don't find her", he grinned. "They'll have no way of proving anything without a body."

"Okay, then tell me again why she won't be found." She stopped suddenly and looked at him. "She's dead already, isn't she?"

"No", he replied angrily. "I didn't kill her. You know me better than that. I've never killed anybody."

This time her laugh was loud and sustained. "Oh no", she finally gasped out. "You don't 'kill people' – not directly – you just 'arrange' for them to die."

"Shut up!"

"So tell me, where is Major Carter? What did you do with her?"

"She's – somewhere that she'll never be found."

Miki narrowed her eyes. "Why not? Where is she?"

"Right now? She's in a nice room somewhere." He looked at his watch. "But in twenty-four hours she'll be under a ton of concrete", he told her.

"A ton …? What the hell are you talking about?" Miki looked at him angrily.

"She's in an abandoned building", he told her. "It's been scheduled for demolition tomorrow."

"But they'll check it out to make sure there's no one there! They'll find her."

"No they won't. They've already done their checks and the place was locked up tight. Besides that, she's in a room that they'll never find anyway. Don't worry – since when have I ever made a mistake? Things are going just fine and in a couple of days we'll be rich."

"Yeah – rich with a bunch of brats to look after."

"That'll only be for a short while", he said calmly. "Sadly, the children are going to be in a tragic accident."

"God Ronald, you're going to get caught if you keep arranging for these 'accidents'. No one is going to believe that you didn't plan it, not when there's money involved."

"Yes they will", he answered. "We won't stay in Michigan – we'll move out of state and change names. No one will ever know. I'm too smart for that."

She looked at him, a concerned frown between her eyes. She didn't care about the kids – or about Samantha Carter either. She did care about herself, however, and she was starting to worry that Ronald's arrogance would get them caught. "Yeah, well I suggest you be careful."

"Dear Miki, you should know me by now. I'm _always_ careful. If I hadn't been we wouldn't have known about dear Major Carter."

"Hmmm", she said skeptically. "So, you're just going to leave her there?"

"Yes. She'll probably get a bit hungry and thirsty", he grinned. "But it won't be for long."

* * *

Immediately after his call to Jack, Daniel made his way to Teal'c's room. He was still a bit irritated that his two teammates had come to Denver when things were going just fine. He had to admit however, that it was good to have them here. They always worked better as a full team.

"Daniel Jackson", Teal'c opened the door and invited him in.

"Teal'c! I just talked to Jack -" He stopped suddenly and looked at the pile of wrappers and containers on the little table by the window. "Uh Teal'c", he pointed, "what's all this?"

"The hotel very kindly provided food and drink for me in my room. Unfortunately it is all gone Daniel Jackson, or I would have offered you some."

"Provided-? Teal'c – don't tell me you took the stuff from the little refrigerator?" Daniel exclaimed.

"Indeed I did. Was that not acceptable?"

"Oh yeah", Daniel half laughed, half groaned. "I'm sure the hotel will find it _very_ acceptable. Teal'c – you have to pay for that stuff, it's not free."

"It is not?" Teal'c frowned and looked at the pile of wrappers. "I did not know that, but if I am expected to pay, I shall."

"Yeah", Daniel muttered, "I just hope you brought _lots_ of money!" Daniel opened the fridge and pulled out a drink – fortunately Teal'c had left a few of those. "So, tell me what you're doing here", he said as he sat on the bed. "I talked to Jack and he sounded a bit frazzled. What's going on?"

"O'Neill found out that the insurance agent who sold the policy to Ross and Terry-Lyn Benton was killed. The police do not believe it was an accident, although they have no proof. The man's widow also indicated that he knew Ronald Benton. O'Neill believes that he may be a murderer and grew concerned. For that reason he insisted we come to Denver."

"But Ronald will recognize him."

"It is why he is not staying here. He is at the Flea-bag Motel."

"The – that's not really the name of the place, is it?" he asked, bemused.

"That is what O'Neill called it."

"Uh – I think he was kidding Teal'c. I don't know why he's so worried about us. It's not like either of us are incapable of looking after ourselves! God, after all these years you'd think he trusted us."

"He does trust you, and Samantha", Teal'c said gently. "It is that he feels responsible since we are helping him in a personal matter rather than on a mission. He also wants to be doing something but there is little he can do. You know this is difficult for him."

"I know", Daniel let out a heavy breath. "I know it must be hard – but he really needs to let us handle this."

"I believe he is Daniel Jackson. He just wishes to be close in case he is needed."

"Yeah – okay. Uh say, have you seen Sam since you've been here?"

"No. I have attempted to contact her but with no success. Have you not seen her?"

"No and that kind of worries me. It could mean that she's with Ronald, although I hope not." He stood up slowly. "I think I'd better go look for her."

"I will go too. Let us split ourselves and look for her."

"I think you mean let's split up. I'll try the lobby – why don't you check out the gym or pool. We also need to figure out if Ronald Benton is around – oh and uh – Emily."

It didn't take long before both men returned, neither having had any luck in locating Sam.

"I saw the Bentons go into the restaurant in the lobby", Teal'c told his friend. "I did not see any evidence of Major Carter."

Daniel frowned, looking worried. "I spoke to the doorman, and he remembers Sam leaving with a man earlier this morning. The man returned a couple of hours later, alone. He doesn't remember seeing Sam again."

"Was he able to describe the man?" Teal'c asked.

"Oh yeah", Daniel answered. "It was definitely Benton. God Teal'c, where could she be? She wouldn't just run off without telling you – that's not at all like Sam."

"I know" the big man replied. "I have tried calling her cell phone again but it does not connect. It appears as if it must be turned off."

"Okay, she wouldn't do that either", Daniel said in frustration. "I think we'd better call Jack", he said after a while. "I don't know what else to do."

The two men sat for a couple of more minutes, trying to decide what to do. Neither of them wanted to call the Colonel, knowing that he'd go crazy with worry when he found out that Sam was missing. Still, they both knew that if anyone could find her, it would be him.

* * *

Sam sat looking up at the small window. She was hungry and thirsty, but not enough to let it bother her too badly – at least not yet. She just wished she knew what was happening. She had a terrible fear that Benton might just leave her here to die.

"Guys", she said out loud, "you can come and get me any time."


	16. Imposters

_**Hi all. From now on I should be able to update more regularly and to get back to all you wonderful reviewers. My apologies, but I have been incredibly busy. The fact was I had a whole bunch of meetings, including a number at the White House (although I would have preferred the visit to RDA!) this week as well as speaking and holding workshops at a conference. I am now on vacation so will hopefully have a chance to get lots written. Thank you all for your incredible patience. This is a short chapter but I wanted to get something posted. Forgive me.**_

Something was wrong, he knew it. He'd always had a sixth sense when one of his teammates was in trouble and it was no different now. Even though he hadn't heard back from Daniel or Teal'c, he knew, without a doubt, that trouble was brewing.

He also knew that Sam was involved, that she was in danger. He didn't want to think too closely about that right now though. He had to focus, he had to figure out what to do.

He'd decided to go for a walk to try and wear off some of the nervous energy that had built while he was stuck in the hotel room. It was as he was walking down the street that his cell phone rang. Thank God – hopefully there was good news.

'_Colonel O'Neill, it's Sergeant Davis Sir. I tried to contact Major Carter but her cell isn't working, I thought I'd give you a call instead."_

"That's fine Walter, what is it?"

"_Uh the Major had me check out some information on Emily Benton as well as on a 'Miki' Benton."_

"Yeah? Did you find anything?"

"_Yes Sir. I found something on Emily. We already knew her maiden name, so it wasn't too difficult to track down the rest. I discovered that she graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Michigan. She worked for a number of years at a hospital in Minneapolis but after she married Ronald it looks like she stopped working."_

"The stopping work fits with what she told me", Jack sighed, "although somehow I can't picture her as a psychologist. Anything else look suspicious?"

"_Not about Emily Benton Sir", Walter said. "But I may have found out something about a Miki", he added._

"What did you find?"

"_Well, I didn't find anything on a Miki Benton – at least not in the Grand Rapids area."_

"So it's her nick-name. It may not be listed anywhere."

"_I know Sir, but I decided to do a search for 'Miki's' in both Grand Rapids and in Pittsburg." _

"Pittsburg?" Jack frowned in confusion. He quickly stepped off to the side of the sidewalk when he realized people were glaring at him. "Why the hell would you look there?"

"_Major Carter told me to check it out Sir. She didn't say why."_

Jack sighed. "If Major Carter told you to do it, I'm sure she had a good reason."

"_Yes, well I discovered something."_

"In _Pittsburg?" _

"_Yes, at least I think it may be something, although I can't be sure. I checked out Miki Benton and there wasn't anything. I also tried her maiden name but again I didn't find anything."_

"Walter …!"

"_Sorry Sir! I input 'Miki' into the system, and cross referenced it with dancers, singers and performers."_

"And that's because …?"

"_Major Carter Sir."_

"Yes, right. Go on."

"_Well, I eventually got a listing for an exotic dancer by the name of Miki Bee. She performed at the Kit Kat club in Pittsburg for four years. I called them up and they told me she had left suddenly about three months ago without any notice or forwarding information."_

"An exotic dancer?" Jack thought for a moment. "I think you're on to something. I can certainly believe 'Emily Benton' was an exotic dancer in her former life. Do you have anything else?"

_"They're sending me a picture Sir." Walter told him. "They don't have access to a scanner, but the owner told me he'd courier it to me. Unfortunately I won't get it until tomorrow."_

"Did he describe her?" Jack knew they'd have to wait, but anything that could help confirm her identity would be helpful.

_"Yes, although I don't know if it will help. He described her as a bleach blond with a – uh – voluptuous figure and 'lips to die for' uh Sir."_

"Lips to die for. Hmm – that could definitely describe our lovely housewife. Sergeant, you did great! Let me know as soon as you receive the photo."

_"I will Sir. And don't worry – we're doing all we can to help out."_

"Thank you Walter, I appreciate it", he said as he signed off. "An exotic dancer" he repeated to himself. It was only as he looked up and got a glare from an older looking woman that he realized he had said that out loud. With a shrug he pocketed his cell phone and headed back to the hotel.

"Jack!"

He was almost at the hotel when he heard his name called. He looked up, only to see Daniel and Teal'c standing and waiting for him in the lobby of his hotel. He hurried up to them, suddenly worried that something bad had happened.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing – I mean – we don't know Jack. We can't find Sam anywhere. We thought we'd better come and figure out what to do."

He stared at them for a moment and then motioned with his head towards the elevator. He didn't say anything as they made their way up to his room. Once they were in and he had closed the door, his face and stance showing his concern. "Have you tried calling her cell?" he asked, although he knew they would have done that already.

"Yeah, it's turned off. We've looked all over the hotel but she's not there."

"What about Benton?"

"Uh, he and Emily were at the hotel when we left. Jack, she was seen leaving the hotel this morning with Benton – he came back but she didn't."

He went quiet when he heard Daniel's words. His eyes turned towards Teal'c, who was looking unusually sober, even for him. "Do you think-" he couldn't continue, wouldn't continue with that thought. No, she was fine, she had to be.

"We have to find her", he continued calmly, although the tick in his jaw gave away the depth of his worry.

"We don't even know where to look", Daniel said. "She could be anywhere in Denver."

"We'll find her", Jack said firmly. "There's no other option. If need be I'll go see Benton and _make_ him tell me where she is."

"Why would he tell you?" Daniel asked. "He won't incriminate himself like that. He'll just accuse you of harassing him."

"Then I will ask him", Teal'c said.

Daniel thought for a moment. "Yeah, that'll probably work", Daniel agreed.

"No." Jack said firmly.

"What? But Jack, it's probably better that Teal'c do it. He doesn't know Teal'c and frankly, he's scarier than any of us."

"No. I'm not going to have you guys get in trouble for me. I shouldn't have asked you to do this in the first place."

"You didn't have to ask us, we would have done it anyway. Besides, this is about Sam and neither Teal'c nor I are going to sit around while she's missing. We're a team and we're going to do this together."

"Daniel Jackson is correct O'Neill. I will go to the hotel and speak with Ronald Benton and find out where Major Carter is."

Jack felt a surge of emotion which he didn't let show, couldn't let show right now. He did reach out and clasp Teal'c's shoulder briefly. It was times like these that he knew how lucky he was to have these two men as his friends.

* * *

As the day went on, Sam began to get more and more nervous. As much as she didn't want to see Benton, the thought of being left here to die was even worse. She tried tugging on the chain once again, but all it accomplished was to start the bleeding on her lacerated skin. By this time the skin around her ankle was raw but she was no closer to getting out than before.

"Where are you guys?" she said. "Colonel, Daniel, Teal'c", she yelled. Maybe someone was out looking for her and they'd hear her. She began to yell every few minutes until her voice became hoarse and her throat sore. "Please", she finally sat down and leant up against the wall. Closing her eyes she rested, refusing to give up hope.

* * *

The three male members of Sg1 entered the hotel lobby, determined to find the fourth member of their team.

It didn't take them long to figure out that the Bentons had checked out of the hotel. They had given no indication as to where they were going.

"They probably got scared", Daniel said. "They must have figured out who we are."

"Damn!" Jack pounded his fist on the counter. When the hotel staff looked at him suspiciously he forced himself to calm down. "Sorry", he said. "Come on guys, let's get out of here. We have find her."

They sat in the small café trying to again figure out what they could do to find Sam.

"I think we should see if we can locate anyone who saw her leave with Benton. Surely there must have been someone who noticed her. She's a striking woman." Daniel said.

Jack stood up. "Let's go. That's as good a plan as any right now. I just wish Thor would show up and beam her up."

It was as they were heading out that Jack's phone rang.

"O'Neill", he answered. It turned out to be Irving Layton. He spoke to him for a few minutes, his expression getting darker all time.

Daniel grew worried. He had rarely seen that expression on his friend's face – and when he had it had always been when something terrible had happened, or was about to happen. "What is it Jack?" he asked when the Colonel had finished his call.

"I asked Layton to do some more checking on the Bentons. He finally found someone who knew them in Chicago", he answered heavily.

"And?" asked Daniel.

"And the people I met are not Ronald and Emily Benton. They're imposters."

Daniel let out a deep breath. "You're sure."

"Oh yeah", O'Neill replied. "Layton talked to the Benton's neighbor in Chicago. He's known them for six years. According to this guy, Ronald Benton was a shy, soft-spoken man and Emily was – well, he put it tactfully but I guess she was rather – uh – hefty."

"Hefty?" asked Teal'c, his eyebrow raised.

"Fat Teal'c, she was fat. And believe me, the Emily I saw was curvy but no one would describe her as fat."

"No", agreed Daniel, looking slightly red. "So where are they?"

"Layton is pretty sure they're dead."

Silence met his response. It was Daniel who finally spoke.

"Dead? Why? How does he know? I mean, they could just have gone away or -"

Jack interrupted him. "No – this was carefully planned Daniel. Layton thinks, and I agree, that our Ronald somehow found out about Benton and decided to plan this whole thing out. He had to have gotten rid of the real Bentons and he and Emily were able to take over their identities. I guess that the real couple kept pretty much to themselves, which is why no one seemed to miss them. If it hadn't been for us, no one would have questioned them."

"So what happens now?"

"Layton is approaching the judge to get their claim to the kids thrown out and to see about getting them arrested. Right now, though, our priority is finding Sam." Jack started walking down the street, determined to locate her.

"Teal'c", Daniel said as he watched his friend walk away. "Do you think Benton has killed her?"

"I am afraid that is possible, Daniel Jackson", Teal'c said somberly. "But until we know for sure, we must continue to look."

Daniel nodded and began to walk after Jack. Teal'c was right, they had to keep looking.

* * *

Sam continued to call out, although she'd given up hope that anyone would find her. The light was starting to fade and darkness was coming. She dreaded the thought of spending the night, locked in this bare dungeon. She sat back and closed her eyes. A few minutes later she opened them, when a shadow blocked out the little bit of light that was coming from the window.

She looked up, only to see two pairs of eyes looking at her. It took a moment to realize the eyes belonged to two young boys.

"Hi", she called. "I'm trapped here – can you go get help?"

The two boys continued to look at her, the fear clear on their faces. "Please", she called again. "Just go tell your parents or an adult that I'm here. I need help to get out."

One of the boys shook his head slightly and began to stand up. "Come on", he said to his companion. "We gotta go. We'll get in trouble if they knew we were here."

The other boy resisted slightly, but finally stood up. "Sorry", he said through the window. He then turned and they both ran away.


	17. Lost and Found

_**Some people were asking why I was at the WH – it's not because I'm important or for any political reason. I was having meetings with senior officials about Veteran and youth homelessness as well as child welfare issues. I also attended a special event honoring people who are working to solve youth homelessness. **_

She didn't know what it was that woke her, but the first thing she realized was that she was stiff and sore. Her next thought was that she was dying of thirst. In fact, her mouth was so dry her tongue was actually sticking to the roof of her mouth.

She pulled herself into a sitting position and it was only then that she realized that there was noise outside her window. She listened for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. She could hear men shouting over the loud sounds of some kind of machinery. God, maybe someone was here working and would hear her.

The only problem with that was she didn't know if she even _could_ shout. She tried, but the sound that came out more closely resembled that of a swamp creature than it did a human female. She tried again but it was only marginally better.

"Damn", she muttered. She'd just have to keep trying. She worried that even if she had been able to shout she wouldn't be heard – not over the loud machines. Well, she would wait until it stopped – surely they had to break for lunch. At that time she'd scream her lungs out.

* * *

"Damn it all to hell!" Jack was angry and frustrated and wanted to kill someone – preferably Ronald Benton, or whoever the hell he really was. He refused to believe that Sam was – that anything had happened to her. She had to be around _somewhere_. The problem was where. They'd searched all night but hadn't found anything.

They had the police out looking for the Bentons – Layton had gone to the cops and reported what he'd found out. There was no proof as of yet, but at least they might be able to locate them and discover what Benton had done with Sam. If he refused to talk, well Jack _would_ get in touch with Thor and ask for a really big favor.

"Jack, we've looked everywhere", Daniel sighed. It was almost 9:30 in the morning and they were all exhausted. They were also no closer to finding Sam than they had been the night before. By now she'd been missing for twenty-four hours and Daniel had a very bad feeling about things. As much as he'd be crushed if anything happened to her, he knew it would practically destroy Jack. "Maybe we should head back to the hotel. She may show up there. You never know, she may have had a lead and she went to check it out."

"Without telling anyone?" Jack turned on him. "Does that sound like Carter? She would never go anywhere without reporting in. No, Benton has taken her somewhere and we have to find her."  
He turned away and started walking back down one of the streets they'd already searched.

"Jack!" Daniel called. "We've been here already."

"So, I'm gonna look again!" He kept walking, not stopping for a second.

Daniel looked at Teal'c and shrugged. He figured this was pretty useless but didn't know what else to suggest.

"We must keep looking", Teal'c said gently.

"I know Teal'c – it's just I don't know if this is where we _should_ be looking. We might do better if we tried to find the Bentons."

"The police and many from the SGC are trying to find them. We would do better to search for Major Carter."

"God Teal'c what if -"

"She is alive," Teal'c interrupted, "and we must not allow ourselves to believe otherwise."

"Yeah, you're right. Wait up Jack, we're coming."

The three men continued to look down alleys and between buildings. They were in an old, industrial area of the city, although it looked like much of it was slated to be torn down. They'd seen signs advertising a new industrial park which was to begin construction the following month.

Jack knew, as well as Daniel, that things looked bad. Still, he had this strange feeling that he _had_ to keep looking, that if he stopped it would mean that he'd given up hope and that was something he refused to do.

As they walked, desperately searching for the woman that meant so much to all of them, he couldn't help but think how things had changed since he'd gotten the children. His life was going in a very different direction than even a few months ago. One thing that hadn't changed though was his relationship with Carter. Oh, that wasn't completely true – the children had made their friendship closer – tighter than it had been – but it was still only that, a friendship. When he thought of her playing with the kids, holding them, drying their tears he had a terrible yearning to change things. Maybe he should retire. If he did he could consider other options. He laughed to himself – Sam Carter was no 'option' – she was his dream.

Still, there's no saying she'd have him if he did retire. He was older than she was and she had a brilliant career in front of her. She'd be crazy to even want to have anything to do with him. Of course, there had been that episode a few years ago and there had been that time-loop kiss. Still, she might be attracted to him, but that didn't mean she'd want any kind of serious relationship with him.

The problem was, of course, that there was no way he could ask her what she wanted, not while they served together. And if he retired and then found out she wasn't interested – hell –

"O'Neill!"

Jack looked at the Jaffa in surprise. Teal'c sounded irritated, which was not like him. "What?"

"You appeared to be deep in thought", he answered, more calmly this time.

"He's been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes", Daniel explained.

"Oh, sorry Teal'c. What is it?"

Teal'c simply pointed to two small boys who were standing on the other side of the street. One of them was in tears and was shaking his head, the other was speaking fiercely to him.

Jack watched them for a second, debating as to whether to speak to them or not. Normally he wouldn't – since a stranger speaking to them would frighten them. Still, they were in a deserted part of town and they were awfully young. With a small groan he crossed the street.

"You kids okay?" he asked, careful not to get too close and to sound as non-threatening as he could.

The one boy – the one who appeared angry – answered quickly. "We're fine. My little brother's just upset."

"Are you boys supposed to be here?" he asked. He looked around. "It's kind of deserted here. Shouldn't you be at home?"

"Yeah, that's where we're going", the older kid answered. He began to pull his little brother. "Come on Kyle, let's go. Mom's going to be angry with us if we're late."

"NO!" Kyle answered. "We've got to help the lady."

"No we don't", his brother hissed. "We'll get in trouble if Mom and Gran find out we were there. Let's GO."

"No, I won't", his brother said again, pulling his arm away. "She was pretty and asked us to help her. We gotta do it Tyler."

As soon as Jack heard about the 'lady', his pulse had started to race. He quickly looked at Daniel and Teal'c, who also appeared deeply interested. "Uh kids, what lady do you mean?" he asked, again trying to appear calm.

"It's nothing mister", Tyler said, pulling his brother's arm again. "We gotta go."

"Kyle", Jack knelt down in front of the kids. "Can you tell me about this lady? We're looking for a friend who's lost. Maybe it's her."

"She was in a building", Kyle said. "She asked us to get help but we weren't supposed to be there and Tyler said we'd get in trouble, but I think we should help her."

"I think you should too", Jack answered. "It's important that we always help people when we can. Can you tell me what she looked like?"

"Kyle, shut up!" his brother continued to try and get him away. At that moment, however, Teal'c stepped forward, right in Tyler's path.

"You will stop young Master Tyler and allow your brother to speak. If not, I will inform your mother that you refused to help someone in trouble. I believe youmay find _yourself_ in more trouble that way."

Tyler looked at him, his eyes growing huge. He stepped back and dropped his brother's arm. He swallowed convulsively and turned to Kyle. "Tell them."

"She was pretty", Kyle answered. "She had short hair but it was light. She wanted us to get help."

"Why did she need help", Daniel asked. "Was she hurt?"

"No, I don't think so. She was trapped in the building – in the basement. It looked like there was something around her ankle but I couldn't see too well."

"When did you see her?" Jack asked, impatient for more information.

"Yesterday afternoon. We were playing Batman and Robin when we saw her."

"Can you take us to her?"

"No", Tyler said quickly. "We can't go there."

"Why not?" Teal'c asked sternly.

"Cause they're wrecking those buildings today. That's why our mom said we couldn't go there. She said it was too dangerous cause they're gonna blow them up with dynamite."

"God", Jack rubbed his hands over his face. "Do you know when they're going to do it?"

"This morning. They've already started."

"Crap – Daniel, Teal'c, we've gotta find her." He looked at the two boys. "You have to take us there right now", he said. "Don't worry, I promise you won't get into trouble but if you don't take us you _will_."

The two boys looked extremely frightened and Jack felt badly, but he knew Sam's life was on the line so couldn't let it stop him. "Come on", he said gently. "All you have to do is show us the building, okay."

They nodded in unison, and Jack couldn't help but smile. "Let's go and please - hurry."

The two brothers took him at his word and began to run. The three men followed quickly behind, their longer legs meaning they only had to walk at a fast trot. It took almost ten minutes but they began to hear the sounds of a construction site.

"Don't worry Jack, we'll be in time."

Jack didn't pause, he simply nodded and continued to follow the boys. So intent was he on moving that he almost ran them over when they stopped suddenly.

Kyle was pointing at a six story brownstone building. "That's where she was – in the basement."

"Thank you", he gently patted the boy on his shoulder. "Daniel, get their last name so we can make sure and tell their Mom they were really helpful." While he was talking Jack began to move towards the building. There were a lot of men standing around although he could see the barriers and signs warning people to keep away. He also saw a number of 'explosives in use' signs and thanked god that they'd gotten here in time.

It was precisely on that thought that he heard the first explosion and a corner of the building imploded. He began to run, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"STOP! THERE'S SOMEONE IN THERE!" Of course no one heard him although eventually someone noticed him running towards the building.

"Hey you", screamed one of the workmen, "Stop. This building is coming down."

"You don't understand", he shouted back, "There's someone in there."

"No there isn't", the guy replied. "The building's locked up tight."

Jack shook his head and kept running. A few guys began to run after him, trying to intercept him before he got to the building.

"The charge is about to go", someone yelled.

All that did was make him speed up. He heard sounds of an altercation behind him and figured that Daniel and Teal'c were running interference for him. He gave a small grin when he thought about how little chance the construction worked had when faced with his teammates. Even Daniel had become one hell of a fighter.

By this time he'd reached the building, but the door was chained up tightly. He looked around frantically, only to see that the windows were also boarded up. Crap – there had to be some way in. So intent was he on finding his way in, he didn't even notice the yells and shouts behind him. He just prayed she hadn't been in the part of the building that had already been destroyed.

Just then there was another loud explosion and more of the building went down. He was horribly afraid that he'd be too late. The good news however was that the second explosion had blown out some windows. He ran towards one, now a gaping hole in the side of the building, and threw himself in. He didn't even notice the fact that he'd sliced up his hands and arms with the broken glass. All he knew was that he had to get her out, he had to save Sam.

"SAM", he yelled, running down the hallways. "CARTER!" It was then that he remembered that Kyle had said she was in the basement. He frantically searched for a stairway or exit that would lead downstairs. The problem was there was little or no light and lots of dust. Eventually however, he found the door and tried to open it.

Of course it was locked, he thought. Why, he couldn't figure out – unless it had been Benton who had done it. He ran back and threw his weight at it, hoping to break it down.

"Ow!" he cried, grabbing his shoulder. It had always worked on TV! Still, he had no other choice and tried it again. This time he felt the lock begin to give. It was on the forth try that it gave completely and he was catapulted into the stair well.

He raced downstairs, continuing to shout her name. He wasted precious time by having to check all the various rooms. It was as he was nearing the end of the hall that he thought he heard something. He stopped, and tried to be quiet, although he was breathing so heavily it was hard.

"Colonel, I'm in here" a faint, rough voice called, although it was definitely her.

"I'm coming Sam." Thank God! He raced towards the sound of her voice and threw open the door – the last one in the hallway. "Sam?" He looked around the room and finally spotted her next to the wall. She looked tired and pale but otherwise okay.

"Thank God I found you." He rushed over and knelt down and put his arms around her.

She held on to him tightly, trying desperately not to break down. "I knew you'd come", she croaked.

He continued to hold her, not wanting to let go. It was only the sound of her hoarse cough that roused him from his emotional reaction of relief and gratitude. "Hey", he said, pulling back slightly, "you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little thirsty. Jack!" she was looking down at his arms. "You're bleeding!"

Neither of them noticed that she'd called him by name. Instead, they both looked at his arms and hands which were steadily dripping blood.

"Uh – yeah, I guess I am", he replied. It was only then that he realized they were hurting and stinging like crazy. The adrenaline and fear from trying to find her had kept him from even noticing.

"We have to get you bandaged up, you're really bleeding."

"Okay, but first we have to get you out of here. They're about to blow up the building."

"Yeah, I noticed", she said wryly. She'd never tell him how afraid she'd been, or that she'd figured that she was going to die. She'd been truthful when she'd said she hadn't given up hope that he'd find her – although that hope had nearly died in the last few minutes. "Uh, there's a slight problem." She lifted her foot and showed him the chain and manacle. "I can't exactly leave."

"That bastard!" Jack went to the wall and tried to pull on the chain.

"I assume you're talking about Ronald Benton – and I totally agree. Uh Sir", she said, "I tried that and it's no use. It's in there securely."

"I'll go get Teal'c" he said, standing up. He really didn't want to leave her.

She really didn't want him to leave her. She was still feeling jumpy and afraid and she'd really enjoyed the comfort of being held by him.

Suddenly there was a voice shouting both their names. They looked at each other and grinned and said, at the same time, "Daniel."

"We're in here Danny", Jack yelled. It was only a couple of seconds later that Daniel entered with three men in tow – two of them were cops.

"Oh my god" the guy dressed in jeans said. "There really _is_ someone here."

"That's what we were trying to tell you", Daniel said in disgust. "Could you please release my friend?" he said, "He was only trying to help."

One of the cops nodded and immediately got on his radio. The other one squatted down beside Sam.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently. While he was talking he reached out and checked the manacle. As soon as he realized it was on tightly he signaled to his partner, who spoke again into the radio.

"I was attacked by a man by the name of Roland Benton", she said. "He hit me over the head and when I woke up I was here with my leg chained to the wall."

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Since yesterday. Please, could someone help the Colonel! He's bleeding."

"I'm fine Carter, I'm sure help is on the way. Uh she needs water", he told the cop.

Sam began to cough and then gagged, the dryness causing her throat to constrict.

"We'll have something here for you right away", the cop next to her said. "And the paramedics are on the way and they'll look after your friend." He seemed to realize he should wait before asking her any more questions. Instead, he turned to Jack. "Can you hold on?" he asked, "Mr ?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill", he answered. "I work with Samantha. We're in the Air Force and she's on my team. I'm fine, we just need to get her out of here."

"We're waiting for tools", the cop answered, "And then we'll have her out of here in a minute."

"Jack, don't worry, everything is fine and they'll be here soon. You should lie down – you're really bleeding", Daniel knelt down beside him.

"What about the building?" Jack asked.

"Uh – well they've stopped the demolition but we do need to get out of here. It's not very safe."

Just then there was more commotion in the hall and a group of firefighters and paramedics walked in. Two of them immediately went over to Sam and began to examine the manacle.

"Uh Sir", one of the paramedics squatted down beside Jack. "May I take a look at your arms and hands? What happened?" He gently reached out and examined the still bleeding man in front of him.

Jack looked at him in some confusion and then down at the blood that was pooling on the floor. He suddenly couldn't remember what had happened or even why he was here. He looked over at Carter, who smiled at him. The next thing he knew his sight went totally wonky and he was falling over, his head landing square in Sam's lap. His last conscious thought was that at least he'd picked a good place to pass out.

"COLONEL!" Sam called, frantic with worry. She settled down the moment she could see that his breathing appeared regular and deep.

"He's fainted Ma'am", the paramedic said. "It's probably for the best because I have to bandage him up and it's going to hurt. I also need to get an IV into him. Can you keep holding him like that?"

"Of course", she answered, beginning to stroke his forehead. His hair was wet with sweat and grime and he looked exhausted – and she knew there was no one and nothing she'd rather be looking at right now than him.

She heard a loud 'clang' and felt the heavy weight of the bracelet on her ankle fall to the ground. She wiggled her foot and smiled. "Thank you! I can't tell you how glad I am to get that off!"

The cop came over and again squatted beside her. "We're glad to be able to help." He offered her a bottle of water with a grin.

She took it, never so grateful for anything in her life, and drank deeply.

"Whoa, take it easy", the officer cautioned. "Go slow or it will all come back up."

"I know", she wiped her face, "but I couldn't help it. I'll watch it now." She looked at the paramedic who was just finished with the Colonel. "How is he?"

"Well, he's lost quite a bit of blood but otherwise should be fine. I expect they'll want him to stay in the hospital for a day or two and he'll need stitches, but other than that he should be okay. Just tell him next time to use the door!"

She looked at him in confusion, realizing she had no idea what he meant.

"Uh – the doors were all barricaded", Daniel told her, "so he climbed through a broken window."

"And didn't bother to cover the glass or anything?" she said, irritated.

"Well, there wasn't exactly time", he explained. "The building was being blown up."

She studied the face of the man in her lap and could imagine exactly what it had been like. She was sure he hadn't even noticed that he'd been hurt. If there was one constant in this world, it was that Jack O'Neill would rush to the aid of any of his team – or just about anyone else for that matter – with little or no regard for his own health or safety.

"We're going to take him in now", the paramedic told her as a stretcher arrived. "My colleague is going to check you out and then we'll transport you as well."

"I'm fine", she argued. "I was just thirsty and now I'm feeling much better."

"Sam – you need to get checked out. You also got a conk on the head and could have a concussion. Uh uh", he said when she went to argue. "Listen to Uncle Danny and do what the nice man says. And look at it this way - you can keep Jack company."

That, more than anything, made her sit back and accept the examination and then the ride on a stretcher. As they moved out of the building – which she was extremely glad was being destroyed as she never wanted to see it again – she turned to Daniel.

"So, tell me what's been happening and how did you find me?"

He grinned down at her. "It's a long story Sam."

"That's okay Daniel", she answered with a small smile. "I think I have time."

The paramedics loaded the two stretchers into the ambulance and also let Daniel come for the ride. Teal'c was going to follow in the police car.

"I'll see you both at the hospital", the cop who had found them said to Daniel as the ambulance door was closing

"Thanks officer - ?"

"Shanahan", he answered, "Pete Shanahan."

* * *

_**Mwahahaha!**_


	18. Reunion

"Alright Ms Carter, you can get dressed now. Everything seems fine but I'd suggest taking it easy for the next few days. You went through a very stressful time and this is the sort of thing that can come back at you at any time." The doctor took off her gloves and stepped back.

"I know", Sam answered with a small smile. "I'm a soldier and I've been through this kind of thing before. Uh, do you know anything about my friend", she asked. "He was brought in at the same time I was."

"A soldier? Really?" The doctor looked at the woman on the examination table. "Still, you can't be too careful. I'd suggest following up with your own doctor just to be on the safe side. As for your friend, Dr. Marsden is looking after him. It'll be a little while before he's done. If you want you can wait in the hallway outside. Oh, by the way, there's a police officer waiting to speak with you to take your statement."

"Thank you", she replied. After the doctor was gone Sam began to get dressed. She looked at her ankle, which was bandaged, and grimaced. It hadn't been that bad, just scraped and rubbed raw from the metal manacle and from her trying to pull it free. Still, it was a reminder of the last twenty-four hours, time she'd rather forget. She knew the doctor was right. These things could come back and bring nightmares and flashbacks – although she hoped it wouldn't be that bad. She felt like she was going to be okay, as long as the Colonel wasn't hurt too badly.

She stuck her head out the door, and immediately saw the officer who had first spoken to her in the basement room, waiting on a bench in the hall. The moment she appeared he stood up and gave her a lop-sided smile.

"I hope you're okay Ma'am", he said as she walked towards him.

"I'm fine officer", Sam replied. "Nothing that a couple of gallons of water and a nice soft mattress won't solve. I guess you want to hear what happened?" she asked. She thought that officer – uh Shanahan if she remembered correctly, looked nice.

"I'm sorry, but I do need to ask you a few questions.", he apologized. "It shouldn't take long. We can go downstairs and get a drink while we're talking, if you like?" he asked.

"Thank you but I need to check on my friend so I'd rather stay here if that's okay."

For the next twenty minutes she told him the details of what had happened to her. She explained about the kids and that she and her team had thought there was something suspicious about Ronald Benton and they had come to Denver to find out anything they could. "At first he seemed charming but after a while I knew something was wrong. Unfortunately I wasn't careful enough. I keep kicking myself for letting him knock me out like that. I don't know what was wrong with me – I'm an experienced soldier and should never let that happen."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it", the officer replied. "None of us is perfect. Anyway, you probably weren't thinking with your 'soldier' side at the time – not in the middle of the day in Denver, at any rate."

She acknowledged that what he said was true, although it didn't lesson her sense of frustration with herself. She'd blown it and there were no two ways about it.

She suddenly came back to the present only to realize that the officer was asking about her 'friends'.

"So you and uh – the Colonel – you're good friends?" he asked, sounding hesitant.

"Yes, very good friends. We've been on the same team for years."

"I see." He fidgeted with his pen and didn't look at her for a moment.

Sam wondered what was wrong when abruptly he looked up.

"You and O'Neill – there's something between you?" He must have realized how that sounded because he blanched and tried to backtrack. "I mean – I'm not trying to get personal – I'm just wondering if you're, I mean if you and – I wanted to know if you're free or if you're already attached."

Part of Sam wanted to laugh at his fumbling attempts to figure out if she was available and part of her was touched. He seemed like such a nice guy and she couldn't help but be flattered by his interest. Normally it seemed like the only men who ever wanted her were aliens or lunatics.

"I'm-" What was she? She didn't know quite how to answer him. She _wasn't_ attached – but her heart wasn't exactly free. Still, maybe she should consider going out with him if he asked her. She could spend her entire life pining for a man who was out of bounds or she could try to build a life for herself with a man to love and care for – and who could love her freely in return. "I'm not attached", she answered. There, that skirted the issue, she thought. Whether or not she was available, well she'd have to think about it some more.

He smiled – and she realized that he was really kind of cute, in a 'puppy dog' kind of way. She mentally slapped herself for that, but couldn't help compare him to the Colonel, who was just plain gorgeous. Still, looks weren't everything, and it's not like he was ugly or anything.

"So, would you like to go for coffee sometime?" he asked hopefully.

"I – don't know. Everything has been a bit crazy -"

"That's okay", he answered quickly. "I understand. Look, can I give you a call in a week or two and see if things are better? No pressure, but I'd like to get to know you."

She thought for a moment and finally nodded, quashing the sudden feeling of guilt. "Sure", she said. "Now I should check on my friend. Thank you for all your help today." She held out her hand and he took it with a smile.

"Hey, no problem. It's my duty", he grinned, "although sometimes it's also my pleasure. You take care of yourself and I'm sure we'll catch the guy that did this."

She thanked him again and said goodbye and watched as he walked away from her towards the elevator. The moment he was out of her sight she stopped thinking about him and instead turned to find out how the Colonel was doing.

Daniel had gone with him when they'd arrived at the hospital after she'd assured him she was okay. She knew her friend was torn about leaving her but she'd pointed out that she was the better off of the two and that Jack needed him more.

She wandered down the hallway and grinned as the Colonel's voice echoed out from behind a closed door. She figured he must be okay by the irritated and irascible tone of voice that was floating through the corridor.

A minute or so later and the door opened and an extremely exacerbated looking medic exited.

"Uh, may I go in?" she asked him.

"Yeah, if you're sure you want to", he replied. "If it were me I'd stay as far away as possible."

"He's a little grumpy?"

"Oh yeah", the man answered, rolling his eyes. "You could say that."

She grinned again and thanked him. After a quick knock she opened the door and peered inside. "Okay for me to come in?" she asked.

"Carter! Yeah, yeah, come on in", he said, sounding relieved. "Maybe you can save me from these overly cautious mother hens! Tell Daniel I'm okay and I want to go home."

She looked at the archaeologist and raised her eyebrows in enquiry. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"The doctor says he'll be fine. He wants him to spend the night with an IV. He lost a lot of blood but he didn't quite need a transfusion. However he _does_ need to be on fluids for the next eight hours or so."

"I'm _fine_", Jack said from his position on the exam table. His hands and arms were bandaged, although the back of his left hand looked unscathed. The nursing staff had taken advantage of that fact and had used it for the IV. "I don't need this thing", he held up his hand. "All I need to do is drink a few gallons of water and I'll be as good as new."

"I really think you should stay Sir", Sam said, approaching the bed. "You don't want the kids to see you looking so pale. This way you'll have a chance to get better before you see them."

Jack scowled but knew she was right. The fact was he really didn't feel that great and was still rather light headed and woozy and his arms stung like the devil. With a sigh he laid his head back down. "Okay, for the kids I'll do it. Hey, how are _you_ doing Carter? You look pretty good."

"I am Sir, thanks. Once I had enough to drink I started feeling much better. They bandaged my ankle but it wasn't too bad." She paused and looked at him directly. "Thank you", she said softly. "You saved my life."

"Well, I should have gotten their sooner" he answered in disgust. "I'm sorry -"

She laid her fingers across his lips – which wasn't exactly proper protocol for a junior officer – but at the moment she didn't care. "You don't have anything to be sorry for Sir. It was my own stupidity for going with Benton like that and not telling anyone. I'm just grateful you found me." She stopped, seeing that the Colonel was looking uncomfortable. With a grin she continued. "And it was a pretty spectacular rescue, you have to admit."

"You think that was spectacular you should have seen him running to the building and then diving through the broken window. _And _he had a bunch of angry guys on his heels. It was like something out of Hollywood", Daniel told her.

"I understand you and Teal'c had an adventure yourselves", Jack said, looking at the archaeologist and the bruise on his chin.

"Well – uh – we knew you had to save Sam so we just slowed them down to let you get there. Teal'c did most of the work although a bunch of guys finally tackled him."

"Where is he, anyway?" Jack looked around, as if just realizing that the forth member of his team was missing.

"He's gone to contact Hammond and tell him what's going on. He was also going to get in touch with Dave Dixon to check on the kids. He should be here soon.

Jack nodded and then closed his eyes after that, suddenly feeling exhausted. He remembered that he hadn't slept the night before and that, coupled with blood loss, was sending him quickly into dreamland. His last waking thought was that life was looking up again.

"Ready to go Jack?" Daniel's head appeared around the corner of his room the next morning.

"Absolutely", he replied, standing up. The nurse had been in a short while before and had removed the IV and checked his wounds. Not all the cuts had had to have stitches but there were a number that were deep and he was told to keep his eye on them in case of infection.

"Where are Carter and Teal'c?" he asked.

"They're waiting down below in the car", Daniel told him. "Ready to go home?"

Jack smiled at his friend. "God, am I ever. This has been a helluva week!"

"It has at that. Have you heard anything from Layton?" Daniel asked as they walked down the long hospital corridor. "I assume the kids will stay with you now."

"No, I haven't talked to him. I tried to call this morning but there was no answer. As for the kids – well I hope this is the end of everything and we can just get on with life."

As they grew closer to Colorado Springs Sam noticed that the Colonel had grown quieter. She glanced at him a few times, worried that something was bothering him. His face gave nothing away, although he certainly didn't look worried or upset. Once he even caught her eye and gave her a small smile. No, she didn't think anything was wrong, but she was curious as to what was going through his mind.

The fact was, Jack wasn't worried exactly, but he was trying to figure out what he should do. The last few days had shown him how important the kids had become to him. He'd felt himself move towards real grief when he thought he was going to lose him. He couldn't remember feeling that bad in a long time. He had realized that he had grown to love them as if they were his own. They meant the world to him– they were _his_ – his children, his kids. The problem, of course, was his work. He really didn't think he could continue to go through the Gate and put himself in danger, not with the three of them depending on him. They would be devastated to lose another parent.

He glanced over at Sam, only to find her looking at him in concern. He smiled, thinking again what an amazing woman she was. That notion was swiftly followed by the thought of what he'd do without her in his life. If he stopped going through the gate he wouldn't see her as much. And who knows, he could even be transferred to another posting and lose touch with her altogether. He expected it wouldn't be long before someone snapped her up. He thought back to the look in that cop's eyes and knew that one day she'd agree to go out with one of the myriads of men who were attracted to her and she'd be lost to him forever.

He sighed and looked out of the window, wishing he could figure this whole thing out. Still, whatever happened it looked like he had the children and that would make life immeasurably better. Suddenly he could hardly wait until they got to the Dixon's. He wanted to see them.

As they pulled into the driveway he suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia so intense he was afraid he was going to disgrace himself. He closed his eyes and allowed the feeling to wash over him. He remembered these feelings – he felt just as he'd done all those times when he'd been away on a tour of duty and had returned home, often after months away. He felt that same feeling of anticipation, of longing – the waiting to hold the ones he loved. But he also remembered the fear – the fear that they were gone, that they didn't love him anymore, that they'd moved on. He had always known those feelings were silly. Sara and Charlie had loved him, that he knew - but being away for a long time made things seem so uncertain and had allowed for doubts to grow.

Of course, those doubts never lasted. From the moment Sara called his name – from the moment he heard 'Daddy' – and the two people he loved most in the world hurled themselves at him, he knew that things were alright, that he was home.

"Are you okay Sir", a soft voice woke him from his memories.

He opened his eyes and smiled at Sam. "Yeah, just remembering", he said, not explaining any further.

She gave a small smile in return, her eyes telling him she understood. "We're here", she told him then.

He turned and looked, only to realize the car was silent and both Daniel and Teal'c were looking at him expectantly.

"Sorry guys", he said sheepishly. "Just thinking." He reached down and opened the door and climbed quickly out of the car. Now that the moment had arrived he couldn't wait so he hurried as fast as he could to the door.

"O'Neill appears happy to have arrived", Teal'c said calmly.

"He missed the kids", Sam said, a wistful smile on her face.

"Indeed. It is good that he is home. The children need him." Teal'c replied.

"Yeah – and he needs them", Daniel agreed quietly.

Jack hit the doorbell with his finger, suppressing the urge to keep ringing it. He felt a sudden return of fear. What if something had -"

"Jack! Welcome back." Dave Dixon opened the door and smiled at his colleague and friend. Jack noticed that a small child – Emma, Dixon's youngest – was attached to her father's leg.

"I see you have an alien growth on your leg", he said seriously.

"I know. I'm afraid I'm going to have to have it surgically removed." Dave replied.

There was a squeal and a 'no' from the little girl and with a scurry of legs she ran off.

"Come on in Jack, I'll tell Suzanne you're here. I think three children are going to be pretty happy you're home."

"How are they?" he asked, worried about his kids.

"They're fine – just fine. They had a great time with mine. The only time we had a bit of a problem was bedtime. All of them missed you and we had some tears from Ali – but she settled down when I promised that you were going to come home and take them to the beach."

"What? I didn't promise to take them -"

"You have now", Dave grinned. "Come on, they're in the backyard."

Jack eagerly followed the other man and soon heard the squeals and laughter of kids playing outside. He walked out on the porch and stood a moment, watching his three laughing and having a wonderful time.

The scene brought a lump to his throat. It was so great seeing the kids interacting and having a good time with their friends. He'd never seen them so relaxed and knew that it was a part of their slow healing that they were able to forget their loss and simply have fun, like kids should.

Just then little Ali caught sight of him and suddenly there was a loud commotion as she began to scream for 'Uncow Tzak!" Soon the other two realized he was back and in seconds both Ali and Matt were plastered to him, their arms circling his legs. He glanced up and there was Chloe, standing a few feet away, with a touching mixture of fear and longing on her face.

"Hey you", he said gently, "c'mere." He held his arms out wide and her face slowly broke into a big smile. She raced towards him and he leant down and grabbed her just as she reached him. "I missed you guys", he said to the now three little barnacles.

"We missed you too Uncle Jack", Chloe spoke softly, a definite catch in her voice.

"I cwayd Uncow Tzak", Ali said seriously, looking as if she were ready to cry again.

He knelt down and put an arm around the little girl, who sniffed loudly but put her arms around his neck. "I thought you'd have fun with Davey and Katie and -"

"Emma's da baby", she told him. "Sees littow. Awees hewped wif da baby."

"You did? What a big girl you are. I'm so proud of you." Ali smiled – everything was right in her world again. She continued to cling on to Jack though, still a little worried about losing him.

Matt chatted to him at length about all the stuff he and Davey Dixon had gotten up to. At one point Jack had looked at his friend and colleague and had mouthed "I'm sorry". Dave had simply laughed and waved his arm in dismissal. After being the father of four rambunctious kids he was used to anything.

Chloe was, as usual, the most quiet of the three, although she chatted quite a bit about 'her and Katie'. Fortunately, it sounded like their antics were much easier to deal with than what the boys had been up to.

Just at that moment Suzanne walked out carrying little Emma, followed closely by Josh, their three year old. Jack couldn't help but grin at the lovely picture the two of them made. He felt a small pang when he realized that his kids didn't have a mother like Suzanne to hold them and love them.

"Uncle Jack", Matt asked, clearly impatient for an answer.

"What is it Matt?" he asked, realizing that he'd spaced out for a moment.

"Can I invite Davey over for a sleep over? We'd be extra good Sir – really. I promise we won't get into any trouble."

"Yes, you can invite Davey over, but his Dad and I will have to figure out some dates."

Just then there was a noise at the door and in walked Sam, Daniel and Teal'c. He was touched, knowing that they'd given him some time to have the reunion with the kids before they'd come in. He couldn't help but smile when he heard the squeals from his three. Duplicate cries of 'Uncle Teal'c, Uncle Danny, Auntie Sam' rang out through the back yard. He three teammates – battle hardened soldiers – even the two who weren't in the military – crumbled at the clear adoration of three young children.

He laughed softly to himself – you're all a bunch of frauds! They were putty in the hands of the kids – although if it thought about it too closely he'd realize he was no different. With a frown he decided not to go there – he didn't want to think his image as a tough guy was tarnished.

After saying their goodbyes to the Dixons – and with lots of promises of 'play times' and 'sleep-overs' he finally managed to get his kids in their seats. By the time they'd arrived at his house all of them were sound asleep. He turned to Teal'c, to ask his help in getting them inside when he had to stop himself from laughing. Teal'c was snoring logs with the best of them!

Jack was pretty sure this was the first time he'd even seen his Jaffa friends get tired like this and need a nap. Teal'c hadn't been without a symbiote for long, and he knew it was going to take some getting used to to see the differences in his friend.

"Daniel, care to give me a hand?" he said, looking at his younger friend.

"Sure Jack, although I refuse to carry Teal'c. That's your job!"

Jack just grinned and between him and Daniel they got the kids inside and in bed. Once they were tucked in he couldn't help but spend a few minutes simply looking at the sleeping children, more thankful than he could say that they were back together – hopefully for good. He bent down and gently kissed first Chloe, and then Ali. "Sleep well my little ones." He then made his way into Matt's room and did the same.

After making his way to his living room he ordered pizza for the four of them and they sat around chatting about everything that had happened. They had finally decided to call it a night when the phone rang.

Jack answered it and spoke for a few minutes, looking more and more serious. After he'd hung up he didn't move, his stillness frightening his friends.

"What's wrong", Daniel finally asked. The three of them exchanged nervous glances. The conversation hadn't sounded good.

"That was Layton", he said heavily.

"And?" Daniel prodded.

"And Benton – or whoever the hell he is – got a lawyer. He's claiming that the attack on Sam and the kidnapping was all a set-up, planned by us, to discredit him and get the children. The judge – McDonald – believes him and has called a hearing for Monday. Layton says unless we can prove he did it – or that he's not who he says he is, the judge may award him custody anyway."


	19. The Visit

"No!"

"Uh – no, Carter?" He looked startled at her one word utterance. "No what?"

"No way in hell Sir", she continued. "There is no way that monster is getting those children. I'll get rid of Benton and then I'll get rid of the judge if I have to. Teal'c, can I borrow your staff weapon?"

"Certainly Major Carter", Teal'c replied calmly.

Jack half laughed, half groaned. "Uh guys, I don't think you can get away with shooting Benton or the judge with a staff weapon" he explained.

"No, you're right", Sam looked thoughtful for a minute. "A zat would be better – three shots and there'd be no evidence."

"_Carter!_" he exclaimed. He'd never seen his 2IC quite so bloodthirsty before. "I think maybe there's a better way."

"Yeah, maybe Jack", Daniel interjected, "but if that doesn't work then I'm with Sam and Teal'c."

Jack looked in bemusement at his three friends and teammates. He'd never seen them quite like this before, especially Sam and Daniel, who tended to err on the side of diplomacy rather than physical violence.

"Okaaay", he drawled, shaking his head a bit. "But I think maybe we should try my method first." He couldn't believe _he_ was the one preaching restraint.

"And what's that" Sam asked suspiciously. Two beats later she turned a bit red and added a hasty 'Sir?"

"We're pulling out the guns – the _figurative_ ones", he cautioned his team, "We're going to Grand Rapids to tell that judge the truth. With all the information we've gathered, and some key witnesses, he'll have to believe us."

"And if he doesn't?" Daniel asked softly.

Jack grinned. "Then _I'll_ borrow Teal'c's staff weapon."

Sam nodded at him, giving him a look of approval. He lifted his eyebrows at her, silently asking what had gotten into her that she was suddenly so fierce.

She shrugged, not wanting to tell him how disgusted she was with herself. She had been useless with Ronald and so far had done nothing to help the Colonel. Well that was about to change, she said to herself.

Jack regarded her silently for a moment and then decided to let it go. Right now they had a battle to plan. He contemplated the three people sitting around him and knew that SG1 was back in action.

The next morning – Saturday – he woke up the kids and informed them they were going on a trip.

"Where are we going Uncle Jack?" Matt asked nervously. He was still insecure enough to wonder if Jack would decide not to keep him and his sisters – something that terrified him.

"We're going back to your old town, Grand Rapids", he explained carefully. "We need to go and see the judge who will make it official that you can stay with me." God, he certainly hoped that was going to be the case. He hated to think what he was going to say to the kids if the judge ruled against him.

"Will you adopt us?" Chloe asked softly.

He turned swiftly to her, wondering where she'd even heard of adoption at her age. What could he say – that there was nothing he'd like better? He would have said it, but he didn't know how the kids would react still so soon after having lost their parents. "Well, I'm going to be made your guardian", he explained. "That's just like adopting, except you can still call me Uncle Jack and you'll still have your same last name rather than mine."

"Don't you want to adopt us?" Matt asked, two ridges appearing between his brows.

"Uh – " Oh hell, thought Jack – he might as well be honest. "There's nothing I'd like better Matt, Chloe – but I didn't know if that was something you'd want. I know how much you loved your Mommy and Daddy and I thought maybe you'd want me just as your 'uncle'." There – he hoped that didn't upset them. He watched them carefully and they both looked like they were thinking very seriously. It was almost funny, on such young faces – they kind of reminded him of miniature Carters – except that none of this was particularly funny.

"If you adopted us, would that mean that my Mommy and Daddy – weren't anymore?" Matt asked.

"Uh – weren't what Matt?" Jack replied with a confused look.

"Weren't my Mommy and Daddy", he explained. Chloe nodded slightly and Jack could feel his heart hurt for the two little children. He squatted down until he was at eye level with the two kids.

"Matt, Chloe - they will _always_ be your Mommy and Daddy – and they'll always be with you, in here." He held his hands out and put one over each of the kids' hearts. "They love you and are watching over you. I would never try and take that away – in fact, I promised them that'd I'd take care of you for them and keep you safe. And when you want, I have lots of pictures of your parents and we can put them up wherever you'd like."

Matt nodded this time and looked slightly happier. He bit his lip then, and it was obvious to Jack that he wanted to say something else. Finally, with a deep breath he took the plunge. "If you adopted us", he began, "does that mean that we're yours, that you'll keep us for always, that you'll love us like our Daddy and Mommy loved us?"

God – _that's _what this was about. They were afraid he was going to give them up – and they desperately needed the reassurance that he was here to stay. He reached out and put his arms around the two children and drew them to him so they were snuggled up against him. "Listen you two – as I said, there's nothing I'd like more than to adopt the three of you – and we can talk about it again and decide if it's something _you_ really want. In the meantime, being a guardian is just like adopting – it means you're mine and I'm yours. We'll be together until you grow up and move away from home – but even then I'll still be your family. And as for loving you – I don't need to be your guardian or to adopt you to do that. I love both of you, and little Ali, as if you were my very own children. In fact, you _are_ my own children! I get to share you with your Mommy and Daddy. You see, I'm the luckiest man in the whole world – because I now have three beautiful children to love. And I promise", he continued, throwing caution to the wind, "that I'll always be there for you."

"Do you think Charlie will be mad if you adopted us?"

Crap – he was about to lose it here! "No", he answered, his voice coming out gruffly. He cleared his throat and tried again. "No, he wouldn't be mad", Jack answered. "There was nothing _he _wanted more than a brother or sister so it would make him very happy to know that I have the three of you now."

Chloe smiled then and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Then will you adopt us Uncle Jack? Please?"

He looked at Matt, wondering what the boy was thinking. Matt suddenly grinned as well and gave him a fierce hug. "Please." He echoed what his sister had said. "Will you please adopt us?"

At that moment he glanced up to see Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all looking at them. They looked a bit uncomfortable when they realized they'd been caught, but they still didn't move. Sam was looking rather moist eyed and Daniel had a very pleased look on his face. Teal'c – his very own, totally inscrutable Teal'c – was almost grinning. He smiled at them and hugged the kids again. "I'd love to", he answered simply. He then gave them each a kiss and stood up stiffly. "We'll look into it when we get home, okay?"

"Alright all you scalawags", he said in a phony pirate's voice, "let's get this ship on the road!"

The children giggled and ran off, happy and secure in the knowledge that someone loved them and was going to care for them. He turned to his team and was about to speak, when Chloe suddenly ran back in the room. She moved over to him and pulled on his pant leg. He understood this to mean she wanted him to get down again to talk to her. With a silent groan due to his stiff knees, he knelt down. "What is it Miss Chloe?" he asked seriously.

She smiled shyly and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Can Aunty Sam adopt us too?" she asked. "I love her."

Great, what to say to that? He glanced over at Carter, but she and Daniel appeared to be in a conversation and he didn't think she had heard Chloe's question. "Uh – I'm sure she'd love to Chloe, because I know she loves you very much. But – you see – to adopt you, she'd have to live with us and she doesn't. I mean, she's our friend, but she'd have to be my – she'd have to – I'm afraid she'll just have to be Auntie Sam", he finally finished. God – that was hard.

Chloe frowned, not quite understanding why it was so complicated. Her lip began to quiver and Jack lifted her up and stood straight. "Why can't you marry her and she can live here?" the little girl asked. Jack flinched slightly, praying that Carter and Daniel hadn't heard. He knew it was the innocence of a young child talking – she didn't really know what she'd said, but still – he felt both embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Chloe – I'm afraid that's not something we can ask Auntie Sam – I mean about the adoption – but remember it's not because she doesn't love you. She just can't live here. But now miss, it's time to get ready for our trip, remember?"

She nodded, although she still looked determined. He worried a bit as to whether she'd say anything to Sam but fortunately, when Jack put her down, she ran to her room to pull out her little suitcase. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to go and arrange a hop for us Sir", Sam told him, "and I need to go and throw a few things together for the trip. I'll be back in a little while."

"Thanks Carter, you really don't need -"

"Yes I do Colonel", she interrupted. "We're a team Sir, and there's no way we won't be there for you. Besides" she smiled, "we love the kids too and want to make sure they stay with you."

"Thanks", he repeated, this time not attempting to convince her to stay behind. He knew he needed her – all his team in fact – and anyway, he knew it was pointless. They'd go no matter what he said. So much for military discipline, he thought. His teammates could be the most obstinate people alive. He grinned – they'd learned from the master.

After Sam left Jack realized that Daniel was still in the room. The archaeologist looked at him quizzically.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

Daniel smirked and turned around, speaking softly as he did so. "Why don't you ask Sam to come live with you", he said. "Then you can adopt the kids together! You know that's what you want anyway Jack."

Before Jack had the chance to reply – or the ability, if truth be told, Jackson had left the room. Crap, the man had heard and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to hear the end of it. He sighed, the sound carrying a combination of irritation and frustration. He couldn't let himself think about Chloe's or Daniel's words – but he so wanted to.

All of them were finally in the plain, flying to Grand Rapids. This ride was much different than the last one, when he and the kids had flown to Colorado. This time they were chattering non-stop, all three of them excited and thrilled to be flying – and flying with their favorite people.

Jack sat silently, watching as he friends amused the kids. He couldn't help but grin as he looked at each member of his 'family'. They were all so precious – although he'd never tell the big ones that – the little ones, yeah, they needed to hear they were loved. He smirked when he thought of what Teal'c or Daniel would do if he told them he loved them. Teal'c would look serious and formal – and would reply something about being 'brothers'. Daniel – he'd looked shocked that Jack actually talked about emotions – and then he'd get all emotional himself. He grimaced slightly – nope, not something he was going to do. They'd just have to know how he felt about them without him saying anything.

Sam – well he didn't want to even think how she'd react. Not that he could ever tell her he loved her. Besides making her uncomfortable, he could get in serious trouble for doing so. It was very clearly against the regulations and could even be considered harassment – not that he'd worry she'd report him – but still…! Anyway, if he told her he loved her there was no doubt that it would mean something _very_ different than if he told Teal'c and Daniel."

"Uncle Jack", Chloe's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What is it sweetheart", he asked. She moved over to him and climbed in his lap. He could tell she was tired and just needed a cuddle, so he didn't say anymore, just allowed her to sit with him. After a few minutes he could tell she had fallen asleep.

He noticed then that Ali was sound asleep in Carter's arms. She gently kissed the top of the little girl's head, a wistful look in her eyes. At that moment she looked up, almost as if she had felt Jack's eyes on her.

He cocked his head, silently asking her what was wrong. She smiled – although it was a pathetic effort – and shook her head.

Okay, she wasn't going to talk about it. He just hoped it was nothing serious.

In fact it wasn't serious – at least not 'serious' as in bad. Sam had felt a wave of love and tenderness wash over her when little Ali had climbed in her lap and then had trustingly gone to sleep. That was followed almost immediately by a wash of jealousy. She envied Jack his new family. What she wouldn't give to be able to keep these children, and love them as her own. That feeling was, of course, followed immediately by guilt - guilt for thinking such a thing, knowing if there was anyone who deserved a measure of happiness in this life it was Colonel O'Neill."

She knew that Jack was a wonderful parent and that he loved the children dearly. Still, they needed a mother, especially the girls. She just wished it could be her.

By the time they arrived in Grand Rapids they were all hungry. The kids had napped, even Matt falling asleep for a short time. Jack figured it was as much the emotional excitement as it was the actual trip. The adults were more tired than the children by this time and they quickly checked into their hotel and went and got something to eat.

The next morning Jack met with Irving Layton over breakfast while his team entertained the kids. They were doing well, although Jack was a bit afraid they'd be upset at being back in their previous home. He knew that places could bring powerful memories and feelings. He thought maybe they should take a trip to the cemetery while they were here, but he decided to wait until after the hearing to see if they wanted to go.

"Layton", he walked up and met the lawyer in front of the restaurant. "Thanks for taking the time to see me. How is everything going?"

Layton chatted casually for a few moments while they waited for their table. Finally, when they had sat down and ordered he turned to Jack.

"It's a hell of a thing", he said. "I've never seen anyone quite so brazen as this guy. He's determined to get his hand on the kids and the money."

"I don't understand how the judge could let this go. Surely now he'll order a DNA test to determine if our dear Ronald is who he says he is. It wouldn't take much at all to prove he's a liar."

"No – no it wouldn't." Layton agreed heavily. "The problem is with the judge himself", Layton explained. "Judge McDonald is old fashioned, extremely old fashioned. Besides that, he's arrogant in the extreme and never admits to making a mistake. If Ronald and Emily Benton turn out to be imposters it will be obvious he _did_ make a mistake. He won't want to do anything that might prove you were right."

"So you're telling me that we're being put through this because the judge wants to save face?" Jack asked incredulously. "Doesn't he care about the kids?"

Layton grimaced slightly. "I doubt it. He's a real hard-ass" he looked around to make sure no one could overhear him and report him for talking about a judge this way. "He's really only interested in his own sense of power. Still, if we can prove our claim, there's no way he can deny you'd be the best person to take the kids."

Jack sighed and continued to twirl the glass in his hand, afraid that things were going to go FUBAR. Still, he was determined that Benton wouldn't get the kids no matter what. He just didn't relish the thought of doing something illegal and ending up having to flee earth. If he did take the children he'd have to leave the planet and go somewhere where they couldn't be found.

He spoke to Layton for a few more minutes to find out as much as possible about the hearing and about any witnesses they could get to come forward. With a feeling of pending trouble, Jack paid the bill for the two of them and then headed back to the hotel.

On Sunday they decided the best thing to do was spend time with the kids and try to make everything be as relaxed and normal as possible. Matt and Chloe both seemed to pick up on the fact that something was bothering the adults and grew increasingly quiet and worried. Jack finally had to talk to his teammates privately, and get everyone, himself included, to snap out of their dark moods.

In the end they decided to go to the cemetery in the afternoon to visit Ross and Terry-Lyn's graves. The children were scared, but wanted to go. They stopped off at a grocery store to pick up small bouquets of flowers for each of them to put on the graves.

All of the adults found it difficult to watch the young children approach the stone markers and lay their flowers down. Little Ali didn't quite understand what was happening, but when Chloe explained it to her she burst into tears. She was upset at the thought that her parents were buried under the ground.

How to explain it to a small child, wondered Jack, as he held her closely. She had her head buried in his shoulder and was sobbing loudly. In the end he walked away from the graves and found a bench under a tree. He sat and spoke quietly to her until she eventually calmed down.

"Awee no want Mommy and Daddy in da gwound", she hiccupped. "Mommy and Daddy in hebun Uncow Tzak!"

"Yes Ali", he told her softly, "your Mommy and Daddy are in heaven. Where we were is a place where you can come and tell them you love them", he explained. "You can leave flowers there and your Mommy and Daddy will watch you and know you are thinking about them."

He hoped the explanation made some sense to her. He remembered after Charlie had first died, he'd refused to go to the cemetery for much the same reason as had upset the little girl – he didn't want to think of his son lying in the cold, hard ground. It was Sara who had finally convinced him to go – although it had taken him a few years before he'd found it to be anything less than excruciating. Now he found his visits to be painful, but also strangely calming and peaceful.

"Day's in hebun?" she asked again.

"Yup – they're up there", he pointed, "looking down at you right now. They miss you but heaven is a nice place so they're doing okay."

"Kay?" she was still breathing in short, staccato gasps, but he could tell she was calming down. He stood up with her and slowly started to walk back to the others.

"Do you want to go back with Matt and Chloe?" he finally asked. He didn't want her to become frightened of this place, but rather learn it was a place to come to always remember her parents.

"Kay", she repeated with a small nod. She still clutched on to him tightly and he kept his arms firmly around her.

"She okay Sir?" Carter came up to see them, the concern obvious on her face.

"She'll be fine, won't you Ali?" He looked down at the sad little face, but was relieved to see a small nod. Ali then leaned back and looked at Carter.

"Auntie Sam", she said, holding her arms out.

Sam looked at the Colonel to make sure it was okay and when he smiled she took the little girl and hugged her close.

"Mommy and Daddy _not_ in da gwound", she told Sam fiercly. "Day's in hebun – Uncow Tzak towd me!"

"Well Uncle Jack is right." She continued to talk softly to the little girl, who began to grow tired and was soon fast asleep on her shoulder.

Once he was sure Ali was going to be alright, Jack made his way back to the graves where Matt and Chloe were still standing. Both Teal'c and Daniel were standing right beside the kids and he was pleased to see that Chloe was leaning on Teal'c, her arm wrapped around his leg. When she glanced up and saw Jack however, she let go and scurried over to him. He picked her up, just as he had with Ali, and softly stroked her back as she cried into his neck.

"It's okay to cry", he told her softly. "This is hard, I know."

She nodded but didn't speak, although after a minute he could tell the tears were starting to let up. Eventually she sniffed and lifted her head. "I miss my Mommy and Daddy", she said softly. "Why do they have to be dead, Uncle Jack?" she asked.

"I don't know sweetheart", he answered. "I'm afraid no one knows the answer to that. It was just a terrible accident. All you can do is to remember them and love them." He kissed her cheek. "You're a lovely young lady, Miss Chloe – I know your Mommy and Daddy are watching you and are proud of you."

He continued to hold Chloe but made his way over to young Matt, who was standing looking alone and stoic. Jack was relieved to notice, though, that he stayed close to Daniel. When he walked up with Chloe Matt seemed to relax slightly and his eyes became moist. Poor little boy, thought Jack. He still feels like he has to be the man.

"You okay?" he asked. Matt nodded, although he didn't speak. Jack sighed, worried for the little boy. He knew from experience how difficult it was to keep things inside. He'd never really learned the art of dealing with his feelings and he certainly didn't want Matt to follow in his footsteps.

"Chloe, would you mind if Uncle Danny took you for a while?" he asked the little girl. "I want to talk to Matt."

Chloe agreed quickly and held out her arms so that Daniel could take her. It was obvious that they all needed the physical comfort. Jack watched as his friend walked to where Sam, Teal'c and Ali were standing a few yards away.

Once they were alone Jack squatted down. "How you doing Matt – really?"

Matt sniffed, trying everything he could to hold in his emotions. ''I'm fine", he answered. "Can we go?"

"Ali and Chloe were both upset", he told their brother, "but they cried and now they're feeling much better. It's okay to cry you know", he said gently. "You are missing your Mom and Dad – don't feel bad about showing that."

"I – I miss them", the boy said, a quaver in his voice. "But I have to look after Chloe and Ali. I promised my Mommy and Daddy when they went out. They told me to watch out for the girls and look after them – and they never came back."

Oh lord! He knew that was a pretty typical thing for parents to say. They'd probably told Matt, as the oldest, to watch out for his sisters, and then they hadn't returned, so he felt the responsibility was still his.

"Look Matt – you've done an amazing job of looking after them. It's one of the reasons I wanted to have you come live with me when I first met you – I was so impressed at how you loved them and looked after them. And you know what – as the oldest you will always feel that way to some extent. But I'm here now and it's my job to look after all of you. You don't need to worry about your sisters – you need to have fun and learn and grow up. Don't worry about anything else right now, okay. I'll look after all of you, I promise."

Matt stood there, looking lost in thought, the expression much too old for his young face. Hopefully he was taking in what Jack was saying and would let go of some of the sense of responsibility he had. Finally he nodded, although it was a tiny one, and Jack knew it would take more than one quick talk to release him from his self-imposed responsibilities. Still, now that Jack knew what was happening, he could keep an eye on things.

Soon Matt had started to sniff and as much as he tried not to, eventually he let go and began to cry. Jack simply stayed kneeling down and put his arms around the boy. He didn't want him to feel embarrassed by being picked up, but he knew the child desperately needed the comfort.

They'd been at the cemetery over an hour and a half and all of them were exhausted by the emotions of the day. Chloe fell asleep on the car ride back and even Matt looked sleepy. Carter and Daniel spoke to each other softly, in the back of the van, while he drove up front with Teal'c.

"That was a good thing you did today O'Neill", Teal'c said, after a few moments of silence. "This was important for the children to be able to learn to cope with their grief."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I know – but it's hard. I feel so badly for the kids and I wish I knew what to do to help them."

"But you do help them", Teal'c answered, surprise evident in his voice. "I have watched you with them O'Neill and you have a gift when it comes to children. They love you greatly and rely on you. Did I not see you comforting each of them as they grieved?"

"Yeah, yeah you did. I – thank you Teal'c. I don't know about a 'gift' – but I do love them."

"I know my friend", Teal'c smiled. "And they love you."

They all went to bed early that night, the adults with the knowledge of what the next day would bring, and the children exhausted from the overwhelming grief of the day.

As Jack fell asleep, he looked over to the other bed where Matt lay, already sound asleep. He prayed tomorrow would go well. He'd promised Matt that he would look after them – and damned if he would break his word. He then thought briefly of the girls, asleep in Carter's room. He grinned slightly - he envied them.

With a final sigh he closed his eyes, refusing to think negative thoughts. Instead, he thought back to the moment he had watched Carter as she held a sleeping Ali. Oh yeah – that was definitely a pleasant thought to take with him to the land of Morpheus


	20. Hearing

_**Hi all. This is a really long and confusing chapter - so sorry but it had to be done. I just hope it makes sense. I would like to point out - in case anyone has an inkling of doubt - that I am not a lawyer and all I know about court proceedings I learned from TV, so please forgive any major faux pas.**_

_**On another note - in case anyone has the slightest bit of doubt - I am a confirmed J/S shipper. All my stories will have ship - if not at the beginning then at the end. So, if you don't like S/J ship please don't read my stories. **_

_**Finally - thank you to all my readers and reviewers - you continue to inspire me. Thank you**_

Jack felt uncomfortable as he walked into the hearing the next day. Layton had suggested that he wear his Class A's and his medals. The lawyer figured it would help reinforce what kind of man he was.

"It'll be hard for someone to call you a liar when faced with all those medals", Layton told him when he objected. "Benton is calling into question your motives, your honor and your integrity. You've gotta walk in their proud and show them what kind of man you are."

Somehow, using his uniform and his medals to try to prove his integrity made him feel slightly sick. They had never been about what kind of man he was – at least to himself – but rather about his commitment to doing what he could to help his fellow men and women.

"Jack", Irving seemed to realize what was going through his head. "You are in a fight to protect and save three young children. I think wearing your uniform for that is totally appropriate."

Jack paused and thought about what the lawyer had said. He was right, he realized. This was a fight – a fight to protect innocence and good. Yes, he thought as he stood tall, it was right to be wearing the uniform. He turned to Layton with a small quirk of the lips. "Thanks!"

The other man smiled and patted him on the back. "Then let's go Colonel. We have a battle to win!"

They walked into the almost empty hearing room to wait for the judge. Ronald and Emily Benton were there already, sitting beside a man – probably their lawyer. On their side of the room sat Teal'c, sporting a band-aid across his forehead to cover his tattoo, as hats weren't allowed in the courtroom. Sam and Daniel were there, sitting one on either side of their alien friend. Jack suspected it was to keep him under control if things went wonky. This was Teal'c's first experience with justice, American style, and they were all a bit afraid of what he'd do. Daniel had drilled him into proper behavior in a court room and Jack hoped it had sunk in.

The door in the back wall suddenly opened and a man walked out, dressed in robes. This then was Judge McDonald and Jack instantly took a dislike to the man. He heard Daniel whispering behind him – he only caught 'beady eyes' before Sam shushed him. Jack couldn't help but grin.

The judge banged his gavel (they really _did_ that, Jack chuckled to himself silently) and started the proceedings.

"Gentleman and – uh – lady", he started, looking down at Emily Benton with a small smile – he obviously didn't notice Sam sitting quietly in the gallery. "We are here today to determine whether or not Ronald and Emily Benton have been the victims of a plot to remove them as the guardians of three young innocent children and close relatives. They claim that a", he looked down at his desk, "Mr. Jonathan O'Neill, did instigate a plot to make it appear as if they had committed a crime and therefore were unfit to take over the care of the children." He stopped speaking and finally looked over at where Jack was sitting with Layton.

The judge appeared taken aback when he saw the man sitting there in a uniform, his chest virtually covered in medals. Layton stood up at this point.

"Your Honor", he said respectfully, "My client prefers that he be referred to as _Colonel_ O'Neill, rather than mister. He has many years of outstanding service in the Air Force and is well-respected by his peers and his superiors, including the President and the Joint Chiefs. He is therefore owed the respect of all of us who honor his sacrifice and service to his country." Layton sat back down, looking nothing but innocent.

Eat _that_ you arrogant bastard, thought Jack – although he also maintained an air of respect. As much as he sympathized with his team, and would like to zat the judge, he knew he had to be very careful and not antagonize the man.

The judge frowned, clearly unhappy with being reminded of O'Neill's pedigree. He must have known he was a Colonel, but hadn't thought to have his nose rubbed in it. "Fine _Colonel_ O'Neill", he said, "although I would like to point out that what you do for a living will have no bearing on this hearing. We are here to determine the truth and whether or not you call the President your personal friend has no bearing on the case."

"That's all I want, Your Honor", Jack replied, "the truth."

McDonald scowled but continued. As much as it was his courtroom and his hearing, he knew everything was being taken down verbatim and he didn't want to be questioned as to his impartiality. "Fine, so let's get this show on the road. First I'd like to call on Ronald Benton. Mr. Benton, please take the seat in front and tell us what happened to make you bring forward these claims."

"Thank you Your Honor", Ronald smiled engagingly at the Judge. "It all started a couple of weeks ago, when I found out that my baby brother, Ross Benton and his wife, Terry-Lyn, were tragically killed in an automobile accident. I had recently reconnected with Ross, after having left home at an early age, and I was devastated to learn of his death. I knew about the children – Ross had told me all about them - and my wife and I quickly agreed that if there were no closer family members, we'd take the children. You see, we found out we couldn't have children of our own so this gave us a chance to have a family. Besides that, I wanted to make sure that Ross's kids would be loved and looked after. They're my nieces and nephew Your Honor – the closest family I have."

God, even Jack half believed the man. He certainly was good at what he did, thought the Colonel. He was pretty sure if he looked around he wouldn't see a dry eye in the place.

"So what happened next Mr. Benton?" McDonald asked gently, an encouraging smile on his face.

"Well, as you know Sir, I contacted the court and you very kindly and justly agreed to our petition. Shortly after that I heard from O'Neill's lawyer that he wanted to speak with us. The reason he gave was that he wanted to tell us some things about the children, to help in their transition from living with him to going with us."

"And you believed him?" the Judge prodded.

"I had no reason not to Sir", he replied. "Emily and I went to Colorado and visited the Colonel. He was – well, he was rather cold", Benton lied. "Emily was actually quite frightened. He asked us a lot of questions – if felt more like an interrogation than anything. He's probably done that a lot – you know, as a Black Ops soldier I expect he had to get information from prisoners -"

"Objection Your Honor", Layton stood up angrily. "You yourself said that my client's profession should not enter into this hearing. Colonel O'Neill in an honorable, highly decorated hero and Mr. Benton has no right to imply he was involved in anything untoward."

"I didn't hear him imply anything of the sort", the Judge replied. "Your objection is noted, but as this is a hearing, not a trial, I would ask Mr. Benton to continue".

"Thank you Sir", Benton replied. "Anyway, he asked us a lot of personal questions but wouldn't really tell us anything about the children, even though we asked repeatedly. They weren't anywhere around and he wouldn't say where they were. I began to get nervous, but I just thought he was being cautious. I had no idea he'd try and keep me from getting the kids."

Jack couldn't believe the gall of the man. Not only was he lying through his teeth, he even had the nerve to wipe his forehead, as if remembering something awful. He continued to marvel at the cunning of the man.

"After we left the Colonel's house", Benton continued, "Emily told me she thought the Colonel was up to something. I didn't really believe her, not then, but I did agree to leave Colorado Springs. She thought that we wouldn't be safe there, so we went to Denver."

"What happened when you got to Denver?" McDonald asked, an encouraging smile on his face.

Jack shook his head. The judge was eating the story up, practically rubbing his hands together at Benton's words. He either believed the man, or appreciated what a master story-teller he was. Either way, Jack knew he was in serious trouble.

"Well, I went down one evening – it was last Wednesday – to have a drink at the bar. Emily said she wasn't feeling well – all the stress had gotten to her – and I wasn't ready for bed so I decided to let her rest. While I was at the bar I was approached by a woman."

Jack rolled his eyes – creative story-telling was right!

"And who was this woman?" McDonald was leaning forward, gleefully waiting for the rest of the narrative.

"She told me her name was Stephanie Perdue, and that she was a teacher. We chatted for a while and then she came on to me – asked me to go to her room. I – she was a beautiful woman Your Honor, and I can't say as I wasn't tempted." He looked at his 'wife' apologetically. "But I thought about Emily and what we have together. Even though things have been stressful lately, I knew I couldn't do that to her, especially now as we were about to become parents."

"So you refused her?" His _Honor_ asked.

Jack wondered if Benton was paying the judge to be his straight man!

"Yes sir, I did. She was pretty angry and upset but I told her I was married and wasn't going to be unfaithful to my wife. I left her there at the bar and didn't see her again until the next morning – she came and asked if she could join me for breakfast. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea, but she told me she just wanted to apologize – she knew she'd come on too strong and told me she'd had a bit too much to drink." Benton stopped and took a deep breath.

Jack couldn't get over how truthful and _honest_ Benton came across. He was a bloody genius at this!

Benton continued. "She appeared so sincere I told her okay and we had breakfast together. After that I had an errand to run – Emily had asked me to pick her something up at the drug store – and Stephanie, at least the woman I thought was Stephanie, told me she was going out too. She walked with me out of the hotel and we chatted for a few minutes. At the end of the street she said goodbye, that she had to do some shopping and that again she was sorry for embarrassing me. That's the last I saw of her. It wasn't until after we'd left Denver, and returned home to Grand Rapids, that I heard I'd been accused of hitting her and kidnapping her. That's also when I found out her name wasn't Stephanie, but was Major Samantha Carter, a friend and teammate of Colonel O'Neill's. Then right after that I found out I wasn't the only one targeted by the Colonel's friends – my wife was hit on by Daniel Jackson."

"Objection", Layton stood up again. "Hearsay -"

"Sit down Mr. Layton, you'll have your turn in a moment", the Judge scowled at him and then turned and smiled at Benton. "Please, continue."

"Well, Emily told me that a man had approached her when she went down to dinner and came on to her. She tried to be nice to him, but he was quite insistent so she got up and left. He approached her again the next day but I was there so she was able to get away from him. We found out later it was Daniel Jackson", he pointed to the man seated behind O'Neill. "We were sure then that this had all been a plot to discredit us and to ensure O'Neill would get to keep the children."

He appeared to be finished so the judge turned and scowled at O'Neill's lawyer. "Do you have anything to say, Mr. Layton", he asked.

Layton stood up and took a deep breath. He knew he was at a disadvantage here, with the judge clearly biased. Still, he had a right to speak and to ask questions and he was going to do his very best to show everyone what a slime bucket Benton really was.

"Before I start with the questions, Your Honor, I'd like to say a few words. Colonel O'Neill was approached as next of kin to take in the orphaned Benton children. He did so unhesitatingly and with great concern and compassion. Over the last few months he has grown attached to the children and they to him. In fact, he loves them greatly and they love him. When I informed him that Ronald and Emily Benton had come forward to claim the children, he was saddened but was willing to do what was right for them. Unlike Mr. Benton's – fabrication – Colonel O'Neill treated them kindly when they visited. He did tell them about the children and only asked enough questions to be sure that the children were going to be looked after by caring people. Immediately after the visit however, he grew suspicious. The timing and the inconsistencies in their manner and story made him believe that there was a good possibility that they were imposters, simply out for the considerable insurance money." Layton paused and took a drink. The room was completely silent.

"Major Carter and Daniel Jackson chose to go to Denver to meet the Bentons" he continued. They were also very concerned for the welfare of the children. They used false names – yes that is true – but only so that they could find out the truth about the couple. What they found confirmed their fears that the Bentons were not who they said they were. The truth is, that Ronald Benton knew who Samantha Carter was from the instant he approached her in the bar. He lulled her into thinking he was harmless and then he hit her over the head, knocking her out, and tied her up in a building which was soon to be demolished. If it hadn't of been for two children and the quick thinking and bravery of Colonel O'Neill, she would be dead – buried in tons of rubble. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are all people of honor and integrity who only have the welfare of the children at heart. I will prove today that the Bentons are nothing but imposters, out for the money – not for the children." On that note he stopped and again took a drink.

"Now Your Honor, I have a few questions for Mr. Benton." He looked at the man seated in the chair at the front. "Mr. Benton, if you please. You say that Major Carter 'came on to you'? Were you sitting at the bar or at a table when this happened?"

"I was at the bar – I told you, I was by myself – I just wanted a quick drink."

"A _quick_ drink? So you weren't there that long?"

"No, only a few minutes", he replied. "That's when the Major", he nodded in her direction, "came over to me."

"At the bar?"

"Yes?" Benton frowned. "That's where I was sitting."

"And how long did she talk to you while at the bar?"

"Uh – just a couple of minutes. She – uh – she invited me to sit at her table."

"And you went with her? Even though you're a married man and your wife was ill in your room."

"She wasn't _ill_ – she just had a slight headache is all. And I told you, I was tempted – she's a beautiful woman. I spent a little time with her and then that's when she came on to me. I left shortly after that."

"I see", Layton replied, nodding slightly. He then picked up a piece of paper from the table in front of him. "This is an affidavit, signed by Brad Johnson, bartender at the Westin Hotel bar, stating that Ronald Benton was _not_ seated at the bar on the evening in question. In fact, he was seen sitting at a table in the corner for over an hour and a half _when he approached the table of an attractive blond woman._ Mr. Johnson recognized both Major Carter and Ronald Benton in pictures shown to him."

"So", Layton continued, "It really wasn't Major Carter who approached you at all, was it?" he asked. "You were the one who approached her?"

Ronald's lips thinned and he looked angry. "Okay fine – so I approached her", he said, "that still doesn't explain why she gave a false name, does it? It's also true that she came on to me – and your bartender can't say anything about that! I made a mistake, okay? Emily and I had a fight, that's why I was in the bar, and when I saw _her_", pointing to Carter, "I lost it for a few moments. When she invited me to her room I knew I'd made a mistake. The rest of what I said is true."

"But you did lie", Layton pushed. "How much else of your story is a lie?"

"Objection!" This time it was Benton's lawyer who spoke. Not surprisingly, the judge warned Layton to 'watch out'.

"Look", Benton said, seeming to relax. "I only said that because I didn't want to hurt Emily any more than I had. That was the only reason I changed the story slightly – everything else was totally true."

"Okay – talking about Emily – you said that she was ill, or 'had a headache' I think you said, and that was the reason you left her in your hotel room?"

"Yes", he replied, looking suspicious.

"So why was she in the restaurant at", Layton looked again at his papers, "At 6:30 pm, eating dinner by herself?"

"She was hungry", the man answered sarcastically. "I was busy working and she decided to get something to eat. It was after she came up that she said she had a headache."

"I see – so she ate dinner alone, and then you tried to pick up a beautiful woman in a bar. Hmmm, sounds like a good marriage Mr. Benton. I can see why you think you'd make good parents."

"OBJECTION!" Ronald's lawyer looked livid – and so did the judge.

"You will cease from making comments like that Mr. Layton, unless you would like to be kicked out of my courtroom?"

Jack didn't know how the lawyer kept his cool – he wanted to rip McDonald's throat out. When he glanced at the lawyer he was surprised by the twinkle in his eye.

"Yes Sir", he said calmly. "One more question Mr. Benton."

Ronald looked at him suspiciously, figuring he wasn't going to like this.

"How did you know that the man who had approached your wife was a friend of O'Neill's? As far as I'm aware, you hadn't met any of his friends or teammates."

Benton was silent, clearly unsure as to what to say. "I knew", he said. "I think the Colonel mentioned him to us when we visited."

"Really? What did he say about him?"

"I don't remember." Benton replied, clearly feeling uncomfortable for the first time.

"You don't remember? But somehow you were able to figure out that a strange man, who spoke to your wife briefly in a public restaurant, was this same person you had never seen before, about whom Colonel O'Neill had mentioned _something _which you can't remember."

"I don't know", he answered sharply. "All I know is that I found out that the person harassing my wife was Dr. Jackson, a friend of O'Neill's. It was obvious it was a plot to discredit us."

"Thank you Mr. Benton." The lawyer turned to the judge. "That's all the questions I have right now, Your Honor, although I will have some further ones later on."

"Fine, fine", the judge waved him off. "Thank you Mr. Benton, you may take your seat. Mrs. Benton, it's your turn please."

Jack was watching the judge closely and when he'd turned to Emily – or Miki as Jack now thought of her – he thought he noticed an unusual look in the man's eye. There was something there – something they needed to investigate. Taking a piece of paper off the pad in front of him he wrote a short note and turned and handed it back to Sam. She looked down at it curiously but opened it when the Colonel gave a short nod. It only took her a few seconds to read it, but Jack could see her face take on a look of interest. She met his eyes and nodded and then quietly excused herself from the court room.

By this time Emily Benton, looking the picture of a sweet, innocent housewife, had taken the stand. The judge immediately asked her to tell her story.

She proceeded to give much the same story as Benton, although she focused more on Daniel 'coming on to her'. The judge asked if she'd met up with Daniel later, which surprised Jack. Again, he saw that strange look in McDonald's eye – and his question had almost sounded like jealousy. He hoped Sam could find something out about the judge.

At the end of her story Layton again stood up and asked a few simple questions. Emily/Miki was well-prepared and everything sounded sincere – until he got to the last question.

"Mrs. Benton", he began "The maitre 'd at the hotel informed me" he paused and held up another paper, "I have a signed affidavit from him as well, that Daniel Jackson and you - he identified you from your picture, the lawyer explained, shared dinner together and that you appeared", he looked down and read from the paper, 'smitten with the dark haired man.' Layton looked up, his brows raised. He then continued reading. 'She also asked me to give the man a note after she'd left, which I did. He gave me a good tip and then left as well. I did not see them again that night.' "So Mrs. Benton, you have stated that Mr. Jackson 'came on to you' and that it made you feel terribly uncomfortable. It appears now that you actually enjoyed Daniel Jackson's attention and even went so far as to send him a personal note. Can you tell us what was in that note?"

Jack couldn't help but grin when he saw Emily grow flustered. She was no way near the con-artist genius that Ronald was. She stumbled over her words for a bit and then seemed to calm down when she looked over at her 'husband'. "He threatened to lie and tell my husband that I'd agreed to sleep with him", she finally continued. "I begged him not to", she said, "but he refused to listen to me. As Ronald said, we had a fight and I did the same as he did. I decided to spend an evening with a nice, handsome man – but I never would have done anything. He was threatening to blackmail me so I sent him a note with a $100 bill – that's all it was. I hoped he'd leave me alone after that."

"I see, so Dr. Jackson threatened to tell your husband that you had agreed to sleep with him? Why do you think he did that?"

"I don't know – maybe he thought it would force me to sleep with him, or maybe he just wanted money."

"So, it sounds like Dr. Jackson had a different motivation for speaking with you than trying somehow to help the Colonel keep you from getting the children. So, really what it was about was getting you into bed?"

"I _don't know_", she said, appearing flustered and angry. "Maybe – maybe he was trying to do both. Maybe he thought that if I slept with him that it would somehow prove we weren't good enough guardians for the children."

"So, Dr. Jackson was willing to 'sacrifice himself' and sleep with you to help out his friend?"

"Yes", she replied shortly, although she clearly didn't like the idea of Jackson 'sacrificing' himself. It was probably hard on her ego, thought Jack.

"So, did you?"

"Did I what?" she asked, a confused frown on her face.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Jack wanted to laugh, although knowing Daniel would be feeling uncomfortable he carefully held it in. Still, it was hard since he now knew what the expression 'swallowed her tongue' looked like. Poor Emily – or Miki – she really didn't know what to say."

"Of course not", she finally ground out. "I told you, he came on to me and I told him to leave me alone. I went back to my hotel room then and didn't see him again until next morning."

"So you went back to your hotel room? What time was that?"

"I don't know – around 8:00 o'clock I guess."

"And your husband was there?" Layton asked.

She looked confused for a second, trying to remember what Benton had said. Jack glanced over and saw Benton tapping the side of his head, clearly giving Emily a sign.

"Headache", she shouted out.

"Your Honor", Layton spoke angrily. "Ronald Benton is clearly coaching her on what to say."

The Judge looked uncomfortable, as it had been very obvious that Emily hadn't known how to answer. "Be careful Mr. Benton, Mrs. Benton", he said quietly. "No coaching. Now, you may continue."

That was it? Jack looked at Layton who simply shrugged. It was actually more than the lawyer had expected.

"I'm sorry Your Honor", Emily turned to the Judge. "I'm just – this is all rather frightening and it's sometimes hard to remember all the details."

"That's quite all right Mrs. Benton", McDonald replied gently. "Just take your time."

She smiled at him – and the Judge beamed. Okay something _definitely _going on here, thought Jack.

"I did have a headache and I went to bed. I even took a pill to help me sleep so don't remember anything more until the next morning. We got up and had breakfast and then shortly after that we checked out of the hotel and returned home."

"I see – you came back here, even though you were to pick up the kids on Saturday? Wouldn't that mean another long trip back to Colorado in just over a day?"

"Yes, but we didn't want to stay any more. As Ronny said, it's been stressful and I just wanted to be at home. I also wanted to make sure everything would be ready for the kids. I went out shopping and bought some things for their rooms." She lightly dabbed the corner of her eyes.

Oh God, thought Jack. The next thing you know she'd be 'swooning' from having to testify. Did anyone actually believe this woman?

"And can you tell me", Layton went on, ignoring the display of tears, "how you found out that the man who had approached you was Daniel Jackson? Your husband doesn't seem to remember." While he was speaking Layton had approached the chair where Emily was sitting and stood in front of her, effectively blocking her view of Benton."

"I – Ronald told me", she said simply. "I don't know how he found out but I know he was upset when he did. He said that the Colonel was doing everything he could to prevent us from getting the children."

"I see – and that would be bad, wouldn't it, especially since you'd spent all that money on them."

"It's not about the money", she hissed, her eyes narrowed. "We want those children so we can have a family."

Uh oh – Jack sat up. Layton had hit a nerve and Emily had reacted out of character. For a moment she hadn't looked like a sweet housewife, but rather more like a deadly witch.

"Since you brought up money, Mrs. Benton, let me ask you a few questions about your financial circumstances."

"Objection", their lawyer – Mr. Fitch – spoke up. "This has nothing to do with the case."

"It has everything to do with it", Layton replied calmly. "My client maintains that the Bentons are imposters who were after the insurance money. If they truly are who they say they are, they shouldn't have any reason not to answer some simple questions about their income and lifestyle."

The judge was clearly torn. It was a reasonable question, especially considering the custody of three children was at stake – however he clearly didn't want to go there, probably knowing that the Bentons were on shaky ground.

"You may ask the question Mr. Layton", he finally agreed, "However keep it short and to the point."

"Thank you Your Honor. Tell me Mrs. Benton, you don't work, do you, I mean outside of the home?"

"Not anymore", she answered.

"But you used to?" Layton spoke to her kindly. "Can you tell me what you did?"

"I was a psychologist", she answered. "I worked at a hospital."

Well, she'd done her homework, thought Jack. He wondered if she'd be able to maintain the fiction.

"I see. So you and your husband live off of his salary alone?"

"Yes, that's right", she responded suspiciously.

"He can't make that much money", Layton said. "You must live very simply."

"We do", Emily looked like she was being honest at this point.

"But you still decided to stay home and not go back to work?"

"No – Ronald and I agreed that I'd stay home. He wanted to be able to provide for us both."

"Did you ever regret giving up your career?" Without waiting for an answer, Layton continued. "Can you tell me a bit about your work", Layton asked. "What kind of things did you do as a psychologist?"

Poor Emily was starting to sweat. She spoke briefly about her 'work', information which could have been gleaned from any basic text book. When Layton pressed her she turned to the judge with a panicked expression. Not surprisingly, he stopped the questioning.

"Get to the point Mr. Layton", he reprimanded. "This has nothing to do with the reason we are here today."

"I'm sorry Sir", the lawyer replied, "but it does. I'm attempting to show that Mrs. Benton is not who she says she is and that her accusations, and those of Ronald Benton are nothing but lies." Without pause he turned back to Emily. "Tell me Mrs. Benton, did you need to study dance to become a psychologist?"

There was dead silence in the room. Emily stared at him with huge eyes, not responding. Jack could see a slight bit of movement out of the corner of his eye and turned, in time to see Benton shift in his chair. For the first time he could tell that Ronald was nervous.

O'Neill wanted to hug the lawyer. Rather than going after Benton himself, he'd chosen Emily, a much easier target.

All of this only took a few seconds before Fitch stood up and objected to the question. Again, the judge agreed and told Layton that was enough. With that McDonald told her she was excused. She stood up quickly and looked like she wanted to run from the room – instead she moved over to where her husband was and quickly sat beside him.

Benton didn't look at her and in fact seemed to lean away. Uh oh, smirked Jack, he's one pissed bunny. He knows she just about blew it for them.

Judge McDonald asked – although he clearly didn't want to – if Layton had any witnesses to bring forward.

"Yes Your Honor. My first witness is Maxine Shearer." The bailiff opened the door and called out and soon in walked a middle-aged, heavy set woman. The Bentons looked puzzled – as did Jack.

He leaned over to Layton. "Who the hell…?"

"Don't worry Colonel – your people in Colorado came through." That's all he had time to say before he stood up. "Mrs. Shearer – thank you for coming. I just have a couple of questions for you."

The woman nodded but looked puzzled. She had no idea why she had been brought here.

"Can you tell me where you worked approximately seven years ago?"

"Yes", she replied softly. "I was a clinical nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Minneapolis."

"I see and while you were there, did you work with a woman by the name of Emily Marshfield?"

"Yes, I did", she replied. "I haven't seen her in years though. She got married and quit her job – said her husband didn't want her to work."

"I see, thank you Mrs. Shearer. Uh, could you tell me if you see Emily in the room here?"

She looked confused but obediently looked around the room. "No, I don't see her here."

"Could you describe what she looked like?"

"Well, I don't know if I remember her that well. She was about my height I think – oh, that's about 5'6" – and she had dark hair. She was rather – uh -"

"Don't worry about offending Mrs. Shearer. This is important so just be honest."

"Yes, well, she was quite overweight. She tried dieting all the time but nothing seemed to work. She was a lovely person though and we were all happy for her when she got married."

"Did you attend her wedding?"

"No – her fiancé was very shy, she told us. He didn't want any kind of public ceremony so they just went to a justice of the peace to get married."

"Did you ever see him?" Layton asked her kindly.

"Just once. He came and picked her up on her last day. We had a bit of a party for her and so she was late leaving. He was very shy – could barely talk to any of us, but he seemed sweet and he obviously adored her."

"I'd like to ask you to look around once more. Do you see anyone here who looks like Ronald Benton, Emily's husband?"

"I don't know if I'll be much good", she replied, "I only saw him once." But again she dutifully looked around, not even pausing when her eyes swept past the table with Emily and Ronald Benton. "No, I'm sorry – although like I said, I might not recognize him."

"Thank you Mrs. Shearer", Irving Layton got up and helped her to stand. "That's all, you've been a great help."

She smiled and shrugged, still not sure what the whole thing had been about.

The Benton's lawyer then stood. "That doesn't mean anything", he told the Judge. "By her own admission it's been years and she only saw Ronald the once – certainly not enough to recognize him six years later. Emily has admitted that she used to be quite heavy but has since lost weight."

"I agree", the judge commented. "This is getting us nowhere Mr. Layton."

"I have more witnesses Your Honor", Irving replied. "I'd like to call Mr. Samuel Morris to the stand."

The door opened again and an older man walked in. He was shown to the chair and sat there, looking expectantly at the judge.

"Just answer truthfully Mr. Morris", McDonald told him.

"That's all I ever do Your Honor", Morris replied. "I've got no time in my life for lies."

"Mr. Morris, thank you for coming today", Layton stood and approached the older man.

Morris grinned. "Wasn't no trouble at all", he replied. "Most excitement I've had in years. The wife and I decided to make a little holiday of it."

"I'm glad", Layton grinned, along with everyone in the room, except for the Bentons who were looking decidedly uncomfortable – and confused. They didn't know what was going on. "I'd just like to ask you a few simple questions. Can you tell me where you live?"

"Sure. I live at 35 Maple Place in Chicago. Me and the wife have lived there for forty years. Raised all our kids there."

There was a sudden 'hiss' from the Benton's table. Jack looked over and couldn't help but grin. They were scared.

"I see – sounds nice. Uh, can you tell me about your neighbors next door, at number 37?"

"You mean the present ones or the former ones? The new ones just moved in a couple of months ago. I don't really know them yet although they seem nice. They have a couple of kids themselves. Molly, my wife, says they're of an age to play with our grandkids."

"Uh – I'm actually talking about your former neighbors Mr. Morris – although I'm glad your new neighbors are nice."

"You want to know about the Bentons?" Mr. Morris asked. "Well, Ronald and Emily - they were nice too, although they kept pretty much to themselves. They'd lived there only about four or five years when they decided to move to – now where the hell did they move?" He sat thinking for a moment. "Some place in Michigan I think, although you'd have to ask Molly. She has a better memory for things like that then I do."

"Can you tell me a bit more about the Bentons Mr. Morris?"

"Sure – although like I said, they kept to themselves quite a bit. Ronald – he was an insurance broker – even sold me and Molly our life insurance. I don't know how successful he was. I always thought he was too quiet and too honest to be good at it. Still, he seemed to do reasonably well and they lived a modest life. I don't think they went out all that much. Emily, she liked to garden and knit and I think Ronald just liked to stay at home with her. We had them over a couple of times, trying to be sociable like, but they didn't seem to be that interested in spending time with others."

"But you did see them quite regularly – at least you would see them outside, or leaving for shopping or things like that?"

"Oh yeah", he replied. "And Ronald would often shovel my walks in the winter – Molly would kill me if I tried. And Emily sometimes brought over cookies – although why she was making them, I'll never know. It's not like she should have been eating them!"

"Why was that?"

Morris leaned forward and in a loud whisper said, "She was fat – really fat. Ronald didn't seem to mind though. I figured the more of Emily there was, the better he liked it."

"Uh, I see", Layton responded, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Mr. Morris, just one more thing – can you look at everyone in this room and tell me if you see Ronald or Emily Benton?"

"Don't need to", he replied. "They aren't here or else I woulda seen 'em. I'm not blind you know. In fact I don't need more than reading glasses."

"I understand, although I still need to have you take another look."

Mr. Morris sighed and looked at each person in the room. He did it slowly and deliberately – probably out of irritation that someone would question his abilities. "Nope, they're not here. Haven't seen them since they moved a few months back. Ronald told me he'd met someone who wanted to set up a partnership with him in – _Grand Rapids_ – that's where it was", he said triumphantly. "Said he met a guy who was in insurance and wanted him to come and work with him. Real excited he was – I hadn't seen him that excited, well, ever. I told him to drop me a line and let me know how things were going but I never heard from him again. A real pity – you live by someone for years and then they just drop out of sight."

"Thank you Mr. Morris, you've been very helpful. I have no more questions for you." Layton sat back down and watched as the elderly man got up slowly.

"Thank you Your Honor", he turned and thanked the judge. "Never thought I'd get the chance to be a witness in a real live trial", he said. "I can hardly wait to tell the guys at the club." He stood up stiffly, with help from the bailiff and then walked out of the room. No one had the heart to tell him it wasn't a trial – everyone had enjoyed him too much – except, of course, for the Bentons.

"Your Honor", Layton stood up again, "I have one more witness to call."

By this time McDonald had to know that the Benton's game was up. There was just too much coming out gainst them. Still Layton knew that things could still go wrong. He was worried about the judge – there was something more than arrogance at play here.

"I'd like to call Elizabeth Samsa to the stand." For a third time the bailiff opened the door and in walked a gorgeous red head. The eyes of all the men in the room were practically bulging, although most had the decency to try and hide the fact. Although she'd clearly tried to dress conservatively, it was still impossible to hide her – impossible – curves.

Jack wanted to whistle – not in admiration, but in disbelief. There was no way in _hell_ those could be real, he decided. He wondered how she could walk upright! He looked at Layton in astonishment, only to see an unholy grin on the lawyer's face.

"She's a present from Walter", he leaned over and told Jack.

O'Neill almost fell out of his chair. _Walter_? He was pretty sure the Sergeant wouldn't know what to do with a woman like this. He could hardly wait to hear who she was – and to tease Walter when he got back to the SGC.

"Ms. Samsa", Layton started.

"Oh honey", she interrupted, "call me Dolly."

"Uh – okay – Dolly."

Jack had to give the lawyer credit for being able to speak – and to look at Dolly (no question as to where _that_ name came from) in the eyes. He knew if it was him, he'd be constantly caught staring – elsewhere. As it was, he was sure that every man in the room found his vision dropping continually.

"Dolly, can you tell me where you work?"

"Sure honey. I work at the Kit Kat Klub in Pittsburgh."

"I see – and can I ask what you do there?"

Dolly let out a loud and long laugh. "Mr. Lawyer, with a body like this I can assure you I don't work at a bank! I'm a dancer."

"A dancer. Can you be more specific as to what kind of dancer – and what kind of a place the Kit Kat Klub is?"

"Sure – I'm an exotic dancer. My gran always said – if you got 'em, flaunt 'em – and so that's what I do. As for the Kit Kat – it's a strip club. Oh, they call it some fancy name but that's what it is."

"I see – thank you. Can you also tell me if you knew a dancer by the name of Miki Bee while at the club."

"Sure. Yeah, Miki was a dancer there. She was good, although she had ambition. She told me she planned to find herself a rich man and live in a mansion." She laughed. "That was a dream that a lot of the girls have. Me – I know I'm never going anywhere much. I'm just trying to save enough so that when these", she lifted her breasts, "start to knock on my knees, I'll have enough to retire in a nice little trailor with a couple of cats and a small garden. No – Miki had stars in her eyes – she just didn't know that she was in the wrong place to reach those stars." She laughed again. "No – you have to be an astronaut for that, not a stripper."

"Thank you Miss Dolly. Can you now tell me if you see Miki anywhere here in this room?"

Dolly looked around the room, briefly stopping to admire the man with the medals, but then moving on. As soon as they reached Emily they stopped. She frowned for a second and then grinned. "Why Miki", she exclaimed, "Don't you look nice." She turned to Layton. "That's Miki right there. I almost didn't recognize her in those clothes." She laughed again. "In fact, I probably wouldn't recognize her in most clothes. Usually she didn't have much more than a g-string and a coupla pasties on."

"So, you're telling me that that woman", Layton pointed to Emily, "Is Miki Bee – an exotic dancer from Pittsburgh?"

"Yup", she answered. "She worked at the club for a couple of years. We hung out a few times, but I got tired of listening to her plans and bitching about the club. She thought she was too good for the rest of us."

"Thank you Miss Dolly, you've been a great help."

"You're welcome honey. You come to the Kit Kat Klub anytime and I'll give you a private show!"

Jack had to choke down a laugh when he saw the lawyer go bright red. He quickly glanced at the judge, not wanting to get Layton in trouble, only to find the man with a sick look on his face. Either he was upset that the Benton's had clearly lost – or there was something else going on.

"You Honor", Layton addressed the judge. "I would like to ask that Ronald Benton – or whatever his real name is – and Emily – r better known as Miki Bee – be taken into custody for fraud and suspicion of murder."

"Murder?" the judge frowned. "What murder?"

"Sir, the real Emily and Ronald Benton have disappeared and it's our theory that they were killed by these two, who then set up an elaborate scheme to obtain the insurance money from the Benton estate."

Judge McDonald was torn. He very definitely didn't want to have the false-Bentons arrested – but there was just too much proof that they'd tried to at least commit fraud. Jack wondered again what they had on the judge.

At that moment Benton stood up. "This is all part of a plot Your Honor. None of these witnesses are real – they've all been hired by O'Neill to try and discredit us. I am who I've said I am – Ronald Benton and this is my wife, Emily. You should arrest O'Neill, not us."

Surely the judge wouldn't buy that, reasoned Jack. When he looked up however, he grew worried. There was something very definitely at play here.

"I'm adjourning this hearing until after lunch", McDonald announced. "I'll make my decision then."

"But Your Honor", Layton stood. "you can't let them go free – they'll flee."

"This is my court room Mr. Layton – I suggest you sit down and keep quiet. We'll return at", he looked at his watch, "1:30 to resume this hearing."

The judge left, quickly followed by an angry looking Benton and Miki. She glanced at Jackson as she walked by – and he was very glad she was not carrying a weapon or else he was sure he'd be dead.

Jack gave a quick look at Teal'c, who nodded and quickly left the room.

"What the hell happened", Jack asked the lawyer. "How could the judge have just let them go like that?"

"I don't know", Layton looked puzzled. "They must have something on him – or he's more arrogant and stupid than I remember." He looked around quickly at that, careful not to be overheard. "I'm afraid they're going to disappear quickly – and I doubt we'll find them."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that", Jack replied with a grin. "You don't know my friend Murray. He's not going to let them get far."

"Hey Jack", Daniel leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. "That was great. You did a fantastic job Mr. Layton."

"Irving, please", the lawyer answered. "It was actually all of you who did the most work. Finding those people so quickly was a godsend."

"Yeah, put Carter and Walter on something and you get miracles", smirked the Colonel – obviously proud of his people. "Danny here and Murray were also amazing. If it hadn't of been for Daniel we never would have found out about Miki and her post-psychology career!"

Daniel looked uncomfortable, although he refused to feel guilty about his one-night stand with Miki. He suddenly grinned. "You know, I could never see Miki as a psychologist – but Dolly now – she'd be great at it."

"Great _a tit_ –Daniel?" Jack and Layton both erupted in laughter – at the unintended pun as well as the thought of Dolly as a psychologist.

"You're so infantile Jack", Daniel replied, although he couldn't help but grin. "Can you imagine a counseling session at her office? She might never solve your problems, but man, you wouldn't care!"

When Sam entered the court room it was to find three seemingly mature men practically rolling on the floor in laughter. She couldn't help but grin, although when she asked what they found so funny, none of them would answer, they just laughed harder.

Finally, when they had been able to calm down, they filled her in on all that had happened. When they came to the part about Dolly they again erupted in sniggers. Sam decided she'd have to meet this Dolly and find out what was so funny.

By the time they finished the story she looked furious. "You mean to tell me the judge just let them go? After all that? What are we going to do now Sir?" she asked.

"Uh – Murray is on it Sam", Daniel explained.

Layton was shocked at the almost instant relief that appeared on her face. Boy, these guys certainly had confidence in Murray. As far as Irving could tell, the man didn't say much. He'd thought he was rather simple.

"So does that mean that we can get all this done and Jack can get custody?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe, although just because we know the Bentons are imposters – and when they don't return the judge will have to agree – that doesn't mean he'll automatically grant guardianship to Jack. I'm worried that he's still going to create problems for us. The man's a -"

This time Layton stopped himself, although the others nodded, as if they knew what he was going to say. Jack sighed, aware that things still weren't finished – when suddenly his Major pulled another miracle out of her hat. Jack, he told himself, why do you _ever_ doubt your team.

"I think I know what we can do Sir", she grinned. "I found out that Judge McDonald has an ailing mother who lives in" she paused dramatically, all eyes glued to her, "in Pittsburgh. And while he's there he has been seen visiting a club called -"

"The Kit Kat Klub", Jack finished for her.

She nodded and shared a grin with the Colonel.

Oh yeah, he thought – she'd done it again. He reached forward and grabbed her and pulled her into a Jack O'Neill special hug.


	21. Teal'c's Little Adventure

_**I'd like to say a sincere thank you to those readers who caught some of the mistakes in the last chapter and who PM'd me. I'd also like to apologize. Usually I try to proof my stories carefully (although I always seem to miss some typos – which drives me crazy). Last night my mistakes were worse than usual – which is because I can only write late at night and often get really tired. Last night's chapter was long so I didn't spend as much time as I should have proofing it and there were some glaring mistakes. I have corrected all that were brought to my attention (thanks again to those of you who took the time to write).**_

_**The following chapter is short and is Teal'c focused. Next chapter we'll get to the custody question, I promise – I just needed to wrap up a few loose ends.**_

Teal'c followed the Bentons out of the courtroom and watched as they stood arguing in the hallway. After a few minutes they hurried to the door and the street, where they grabbed a cab. Teal'c had seen enough movies to know exactly what he had to do. He stuck his arm out and flagged down the next cab.

"Follow that vehicle", he told the driver.

The cabbie looked at him incredulously. "Are you for real man?"

Teal'c looked at him quizzically. "I am certainly real and I want you to follow that vehicle – Ramon." The cabbie's name was written on a panel on the glass between the front and back seat. "I suggest you do it quickly."

Something in Teal'c's stare must have scared the man because he took off without further complaint. He turned out to be an excellent driver and was able to follow the Bentons as they drove through the city.

"Do not let them see you", Teal'c instructed. Ramon grinned and nodded. He too had watched lots of movies.

Eventually the cab ahead of them stopped and the couple got out of the car. After a short, angry conversation, Ronald headed over to a car parked in a small lot. Miki stood still, clearly unsure what to do. Finally she got back in the cab and it took off.

"Did ya want me to keep followin' the cab?" his driver asked.

"No, we will follow the gentleman in the blue car" he said solemnly. While they waited for Benton to take off, Teal'c pulled out his cell phone and called Major Carter. He was unsure whether or not O'Neill would be available to speak with him.

"Major Carter, it is I – Murray." He could see the cabbie's eyes looking at him in the rearview mirror. "I am following Ronald Benton. He and his wife have separated and Ramon and I continue to follow him. I suggest the police be called to apprehend Miki Bee." He gave Carter the license plate number of Miki's cab and then sat back and waited until Ronald pulled out in his car."

Although Major Carter had asked him where he was and suggested she call the police and have them apprehend Benton, Teal'c demurred. This man had put O'Neill through much anguish, he had hurt and almost murdered Major Carter and was most likely responsible for the deaths of at least three others. He was also suspicious that Benton may have arranged for the accident which killed Ross and Terry-Lyn. The man had much to pay for and Teal'c was going to make sure he did.

The cab pulled out after Benton's car and continued to follow it through the city. Eventually it became obvious that he was heading out of town.

"Uh what would you like me to do?" Ramon asked. "I can't leave the city limits without permission from the company."

"That is fine", Teal'c replied. "You may stop his car and I will deal with him now."

"Uh – stop his car? I don't exactly think I can do -"

"Yes you can", he told the driver calmly. "Simply move ahead of him and then turn off your engine."

"Yeah, okay, but what if he hits me? I can't afford to fix the cab – and I'll probably get fired."

"You will not", Teal'c informed him gravely. "I will tell your employers you were assisting me."

"Yeah right – like they'd care. Look, I don't know who you are or what you're doing, but I'm not going to be a party to you hurting that guy. I'm just a cabbie – I drive cars. I'm not some TV hero."

"No, you are not. You will however do as I say. I promise you that this is a good thing. The man in that car is a criminal."

"Maybe but -"

"You will cease talking now and stop his car."

Again Ramon glanced back and decided that he'd better listen to this Murray guy. He could always tell his employers that he was forced – which he kind of was. He said a short prayer that he wasn't about to get shot or something.

He quickly raced ahead, passing the blue car. Once he pulled in front he slowed down, forcing the man in the car to slow as well. Just at the point where the other driver was about to pull out and pass, Ramon did something he'd only ever seen on TV. He slammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel, forcing the car to slide across the lane and in front of Benton's car. The force and noise of the crash, as the other car slammed into him, made him grimace. Holy mierda! He was in trouble now.

It took a second for both cars to come to a stop. There was a moment of dead silence and then the guy in the back seat forced open his door and got out. Ramon sat quietly, shaken but alright. Dios, if he lived through this he could get free drinks for a month just telling the story.

Teal'c walked over to the other car and yanked open the driver's door. A bemused and very shaken Ronald Benton was sitting there, rubbing his face. He didn't appear too hurt, although he had a bump on his forehead and a bruise was forming.

"What the hell!" he muttered. "Are you trying to kill me?" He still hadn't looked at the person standing in his doorway, still too stunned to notice him fully.

"No, for if I were attempting to kill you, you would be dead", Teal'c answered calmly. At that Benton's head jerked up.

"What? It's you – you're Murray, O'Neill's friend." Although Teal'c had only ever seen Benton in court, he was pretty sure his quivery voice was not the usual one with which he spoke.

"I am indeed", he replied. "It is time for you to make your way out of your car", he told the frightened man. "You have hurt my friends and I am here to make sure you receive justice."

"What?" Benton asked, his voice rising a number of octaves. "Please don't hurt me", he begged. "I'm not armed."

"I am and I suggest you stand up." Teal'c stood sternly by the car, holding the door but keeping his eyes focused on the man seated in the driver's seat. The others were correct. Ronald Benton was as bad as any system lord he'd come across. He did not deserve to live.

Unfortunately, Teal'c knew that here, on earth, he couldn't make that determination. He wished for a moment he had a Tel'tac and could transport Benton to Chulak where swift punishment could be meted out. Either that or he'd like to give him to a system lord – he wondered if Benton would like that?

On second thought, Teal'c realized that would be a bad idea. Ronald was a major manipulator and would probably end up taking over. As a host to a Goa'uld he'd be serious trouble.

All the while Teal'c was thinking, poor Benton was shaking – this time in terror, not as a result of the accident. He'd relied on his charm, his intelligence and his wits his whole life. He'd never had to face violence straight on, or deal with someone who saw through him. He was pretty sure that 'Murray' was not someone he could con.

"Okay, okay", he finally said, when it looked like Murray was getting angry. "I'm getting out." He stumbled out of the car and would have fallen if his captor hadn't reached out and steadied him. God, thought Benton, he was strong.

"What are you going to do to me?" he finally asked.

"If I were on my home – continent" Teal'c replied, "I would be justified in cutting out your tongue for your lies and your hands for trying to steal the children's inheritance. Then, after a suitable time, I would ensure that you paid for the murders of innocent people and for the harm you have done my friends. I would have you stripped naked and staked out on the ground and left to die slowly. Once you were dead I would leave you so the carrion birds and wild animals would eat your flesh and leave your bones to rot."

Benton tried swallowing but found he couldn't. He was pretty sure he'd just wet his pants. His ears were buzzing and he wasn't quite sure if he heard someone protesting. All he knew was that he'd never been so terrified in his life.

"Hey man", Ramon pleaded. "He may be a bad guy but you can't do that."

Teal'c looked at the cab driver and realized that the poor man was himself terrified – but was still willing to speak up for the sake of Benton. "Do not worry", he told Ramon quietly, so Benton couldn't hear. "I am not on my – continent – and will obey the laws of America. Let us take him back to the police and we will let them deal with him."

Ramon breathed a sigh of relief, although when he looked over at his damaged cab he didn't feel quite so good. Crap – what had he gotten into? Maybe he should consider another line of work.

Teal'c made Benton put his hands behind his back and quickly tied them up with a piece of twine borrowed from Ramon. He then forced him onto the car, so he was leaning with his back against the hood of the cab, an anguished look on his face.

Teal'c considered Benton silently. "What is your correct name", he finally asked. "We know you are not Ronald Benton."

Benton swore at him and said he wasn't going to speak. Now that the initial fear had faded, he decided there was still opportunity to bluff this out. He wasn't nearly as frightened of the police as he was of Murray.

Teal'c pushed on Benton's torso, forcing him to bend back even farther. "I believe I will take this man to my home. He will be more cooperative."

Ramon was standing a few feet away from the car, looking back and forth between the two men in front of him. So far it hadn't gotten too bad, although he knew that could change any moment. At this point he didn't know what to do, so he simply nodded at the big man.

"NO!" Benton answered. "You said we were going to the police."

"But I believe you will lie to them so it will be better to take you with me. In my – place – there is not the ability to lie. Lying brings too much pain."

"No – please, just take me to the police. I'll confess everything, I promise."

"What is your true name", Teal'c asked again.

"It's Morgan, Frank Morgan."

"How did you kill the Bentons?"

"NO – no, I didn't kill anyone", he practically cried. "I'm a con man, not a murderer."

"Then where are they?" Teal'c continued to speak dispassionately, which seemed to induce more fear than if he had appeared angry or upset. He knew he could be a pretty scary guy – he had spent years as Apophis' First Prime, where creating fear had been his primary modus operandi.

"I don't know – I don't know where they are. They moved somewhere and I just took their identities."

"You lie", Teal'c said softly. "Will you continue with these lies when I grasp your tongue with a hook and rip it from your mouth?"

This time Benton – or Morgan – really did wet himself. He could tell, by looking at the dark man's eyes, that he was serious. This guy had killed and tortured and maimed people in the past and Frank knew he was in deadly peril.

Teal'c would have been pleased to know the thoughts running through his prisoner's mind as they stood there in the hot sun. Although it was true that he had done many heinous things in service to a false god, he would not really carry out the threats he was making, as much as he would like to. Since living on earth he had come to appreciate that there was a better way than pain and torture – although at times he met those who he felt truly deserved them.

"Nooooo", Frank Morgan burst into tears. "I didn't kill them – I didn't. They, they had an accident – that's all. When I found out they were dead I contacted Miki and we took their identities. Please, don't hurt me."

"Where have you put their bodies?" Teal'c continued to ask questions, trying to get as much information as possible.

Frank Morgan was terrified and humiliated and a broken man. He slowly confessed to a whole list of things. Teal'c knew it wouldn't hold up in a Tauri court, but for his sake he needed to hear it. It was also a bonus that Ramon was present. He could attest to the things Morgan was saying.

Teal'c finally turned to Ramon. "We will take him to the police and let them deal with Frank Morgan."

He grasped Morgan's shirt front and pulled him up, off the hood, and into a standing position. "You will get into the car and we are taking you to the police. And know this Frank Morgan – if you lie to the police, or if you try to get out of prison, I will find you and I _will_ take you back with me."

Ramon drove his passengers into the city and directly to the central police station. He could honestly say he'd never been so glad to get to a police station as he was that day. As he followed his two passengers into the station, he wondered briefly if Murray would have carried through on his threats. He prayed he'd never find out.

"So, they caught you Ronnie?", Miki's low voice broke Teal'c's train of thought. He looked up to see Miki standing in the middle of the floor, her hands cuffed behind her. "Hi Murray", she said. "Your friend Major Carter called the police and here I am. I'm just glad you brought in _that_ bastard", she said in disgust. "He's the one who caused all this", she complained. "But I've already agreed to a deal in exchange for a lighter sentence." She grinned at an angry Benton/Morgan. "I'm afraid you're screwed dear husband."

"You bitch", he growled. "You're so stupid – you're gonna tell them everything and we'll both end up in jail. If you'd just stayed quiet we could have gotten off."

"You are such an arrogant prick", she replied. "You think you're smarter than everyone and that you'll con them all into believing you're innocent. Well, I'm afraid you finally met your match in Colonel O'Neill. And then there's the rest of his team! You told me you'd researched all of O'Neill's friends and contacts before you put your claim forward. Well, you may have learnt what they looked like, and their names – but that's all you learned. You bastard you – they've been ahead of you the whole damn time. You fell right into their trap and now you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison!"


	22. Judgment

_**Note to my readers. A number of you wondered how Ronald (aka Frank Morgan) found out about Jack's friends. I never meant to imply that he had found out anything classified, simply that he had checked out O'Neill and discovered who his friends were (at least Sam and Daniel). Since they socialized, it would have been perfectly possible for him to investigate and find out their names and that they worked at Cheyenne Mountain, if not what they actually did there. The fact that they worked together, and that Sam was a Major and Daniel a Doctor of archaeology would not be classified info. I hope that clarifies things.**_

_**Also – thanks to those of you who caught my mix up with Jack/Teal'c in the last chapter. I've fixed it and definitely gave myself a slap on the wrist! **_

It suddenly dawned on Jack that he was hugging his second in a public courtroom. As much as he liked it, he figured he'd better stop. Okay Jack, anytime now, you can let her go. But she's holding on tight too – he rationalized - so what's a guy to do? He felt her sigh softly into his shoulder and knew he was totally, absolutely lost. Who could possibly care if he just stayed here, like this, forever?

"Uh Jack? Sam?"

Oh hell – Daniel! He _would_ be the one to break this up. With a deep sigh of his own he attempted to pull back, knowing he had to let her go – but hell – she was still holding on to him tightly. It took a few more heartbeats but she finally dropped her arms and stepped back herself, looking rather flushed.

Jack cleared his throat and tried to speak. "What Daniel?" he asked, his voice coming out a bit too high pitched.

"Uh nothing – it's just that Sam's phone is ringing."

At that Carter hurriedly grabbed her phone, looking both startled and embarrassed. Jack grinned to himself – she hadn't noticed it wringing either. So his hug had been a little distracting had it Major? He frowned slightly, cursing himself for calling her Major, even if only to himself. It totally destroyed the pleasant after effects of the hug. Damn Air Force!

"So Jack", Daniel was grinning at him. "Feeling good are we?"

"I don't know about _you_ Jackson, but I'm feeling relieved that Benton is finally out of our lives."

"Yeah, you and Sam certainly looked _relieved_."

"_Jackson_?" he warned. "I was just thanking her for helping me. And hey, I have you to thank as well", he said, trying to shift the attention away from _THE HUG._

"Yeah, thanking her!" Daniel chortled. "Just promise me you'll never thank _me_ like that."

"In your dreams Jackson", O'Neill growled, although he couldn't help the small grin that appeared. "Just don't -"

"- say anything? Of course not Jack, you know me better than that. I just wish -" he stopped. "No, I'm just glad everything is working out."

Just then Carter signed off her call. "That was Teal'c Sir", she told the Colonel, still looking charmingly flushed. "He caught Ronald and took him to the police station, where he's being held. General Hammond contacted the Police Chief and I guess explained the whole situation and told him all that Walter had uncovered. Benton's being held pending further evidence, although I guess Teal'c and a guy by the name of Ramon Vasquez are giving statements right now."

"Who the hell is Ramon Vaszuez?" O'Neill asked.

"Uh – Teal'c's cab driver", she answered with a bemused look. "I guess Teal'c followed Benton in a cab. They managed to stop him and made a citizen's arrest and took him back to the station. On the way Benton – whose real name is Frank Morgan, by the way – confessed. It probably won't hold up – he'll claim coercion – but it'll be enough to hold him until the police gather more information."

"Way to go Teal'c!" Jack grinned. "I'd like to have been in that car. I'm sure he scared the crap out of Ben – er Morgan."

"Not the crap Sir" she grinned, "although I understand he _did_ wet himself. The cops had to find him a change of clothes."

Jack burst out laughing. He couldn't think of a better revenge against the arrogant Ronald – or whatever– he knew he'd always think of him as Ronald Benton. He would love to have been there, but was sure it had been much more effective with just Teal'c. He'd have to ask his friend what he'd said to terrify Benton to the point where the man lost control of his bladder.

"What about Miki?" he finally asked.

"Oh, they got her too", she answered. "She's agreed to give evidence against her partner in return for consideration of a lighter sentence. When Teal'c called I could hear Miki and Ronald yelling at each other in the background."

"Maybe they really were married", said O'Neill. "Nobody can argue quite like a married couple!"

At that moment the bailiff walked in, announcing Judge Mcdonald's entrance. Everyone returned to where they had been sitting, although they stayed standing until the judge declared the hearing had resumed.

The judge looked at the table where the Bentons had been sitting and looked surprised (Jack knew, without a doubt, that the look was false. McDonald had given the Bentons time to flee, obviously wanting to save his own bacon.)

The Judge spoke to Mr. Fitch. "Where are your clients? We are about to begin."

"I'm sorry Your Honor", the lawyer looked nervous. "They have not returned from lunch."

"I'll give them five more minutes Mr. Fitch, and then will issue a warrant for their arrest!"

Oh yeah, you hypocrite, thought Jack. I'm sure you're terribly upset they're gone. Are you ever in for a surprise!

"Your Honor", Layton stood up. "There is no need to issue a warrant."

"And why not Mr. Layton?" The judge tried to look fierce, but instead seemed to be rather relieved at what Layton had suggested.

"Because they have already been arrested", he replied. "They are being held at Central Division Police headquarters."

"_What_?" the judge exploded. "Who the hell authorized that? I have not issued a warrant."

"No Sir", the lawyer replied calmly. "However, based on evidence presented to the police, a warrant was issued for their arrest for fraud and attempted murder. Ronald Benton has also been charged with kidnapping, assault and an additional charge of attempted murder."

Judge McDonald was seething. Jack was pretty sure the man was seeing his career hanging on the edge of a precipice. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, he thought. He prayed Miki would finger him. This was a guy who very definitely shouldn't be sitting in judgment on others.

"Your Honor", Layton continued, "since it appears that the persons known as Ronald and Emily Benton were imposters, and that they attempted to commit fraud, I'd ask that this hearing dealing with the events of this week be brought to an end. However, in the case of the three Benton children, I would now ask you to grant full guardianship of them to Colonel O'Neill. He has proved himself to be an honest man of integrity and he would make an excellent guardian for these young orphans."

"What makes you think I will simply hand them over to O'Neill?" the judge asked. "Just because what Ronald Benton claimed _might_ not be true, that doesn't mean that I should just grant custody to him. I'd need to be sure the children were going to be looked after properly."

Yeah right, Jack snorted, as if that's your concern! The judge glared at him. Oops – he must have made a sound.

"I have here, Your Honor", Layton continued, unperturbed, "signed statements from the social worker assigned to the case, as well as a trained psychologist who examined the children both recommending that Colonel O'Neill be made their guardian. If I may Sir", he looked down at one of the documents. "This is the recommendation of the Social Worker."

He began to read: "_over the past six weeks I have observed Colonel O'Neill interact with the Benton children. It is clear that he cares deeply for them and would make an ideal parent and guardian. The children love and respect him and appear to be adjusting extremely well, especially considering their recent tragic loss. The Colonel has made a home for these children that is safe, loving and healthy, both physically and emotionally. I could think of no better person to care for them. Rarely has it been my privilege to see a family unit become so close knit in such a short time."_

The lawyer looked up. "I also have a similar statement from the psychologist as well as numerous testimonials from a variety of people concerning the character of Colonel Jonathan O'Neill. I would like them entered into these proceedings."

"Fine, fine", the judge said. "I'm sure you've got lots of documents there that make O'Neill out to be a saint. I'm still not satisfied that he's the right person. In fact, if memory serves me Colonel O'Neill", he said sharply, looking at Jack, "didn't you have a child? A son I believe?"

"Yes Your Honor", Jack replied, his eyes narrowing. God – he knew what the judge was going to do. He prayed he could keep from jumping up and killing the man.

"And could you tell me what happened to him?"

"Your Honor", Layton objected, "this is nothing to do with his application for guardianship!"

"On the contrary Mr. Layton, it has everything to do with it. Colonel O'Neill, answer the question please."

Jack clenched his hands and took a deep breath. "He died Your Honor", he said shortly, barely getting the words out.

"And how did he die Colonel", McDonald asked, his face almost breaking out into a smirk.

"He shot himself" Jack said softly.

"What? What's that you said Colonel? I couldn't hear you."

Bastard! "I said he shot himself."

"He shot himself? With what?" the judge leaned forward, looking directly at the man in front of him – this time the smirk clearly evident on his face. "How old was he? Surely he didn't have his own gun?"

Jack's teeth clenched and he was having trouble catching his breath. "With my gun", he answered. "He found my gun and he accidently shot himself."

"I see. And how old was he? I think I read in your file that he was nine. So, you have all these people seeming to believe you'd be a good parent, and yet you were careless enough to leave a loaded weapon around and cause your son's death. That doesn't sound like good parenting to me, does it Colonel?"

"No", he answered sharply. "No it doesn't."

"Jack!" Layton looked at him. "Your Honor, Colonel O'Neill was completely cleared in the investigation into his son's death. It was a tragic accident which sadly claimed his son's life. It is not something he would ever let happen again and wasn't a reflection of his parenting. I have a signed statement from his ex-wife saying that he was an excellent father and that she would strongly recommend he be given guardianship of the Benton children."

"And yet she divorced him, didn't she - and over the death of their son."

Yes - the bastard had obviously done his homework. Jack should have known this was coming. He closed his eyes briefly – maybe the judge _was_ right – although for the wrong reasons. Maybe he shouldn't be made the kids' guardian. What if McDonald was right? What if he really was just a bad parent?

"How _dare_ you!"

Jack's head jerked around. "Sam – no", he cried, knowing she could get in huge trouble for talking to a judge like that.

"How _dare _you", she repeated to the judge, completely ignoring the Colonel. "This man is a hero – he's saved all our butts more times than you'll ever know -"

"BE QUIET OR I WILL CHARGE YOU WITH CONTEMPT!" McDonald shouted. He calmed down slightly and repeated - "you will be quiet in my courtroom!"

"No!" she answered, standing up and looking at him defiantly. "I don't care if you are a judge – you have no right to treat the Colonel this way. He is an amazing father and those children adore him. If you refuse to give the Colonel custody, we will appeal – and not only will he be made their guardian, we will explain _very carefully - "_

"ARREST HER" the judge shouted to his bailiff.

"We will explain", Sam's voice grew louder and faster as the bailiff approached. Daniel stepped in his way. "We will explain", she repeated, "why you helped the Bentons, and why you are determined to thwart the Colonel. We will tell them all about your trips to Pittsburgh and to the Kit Kat Klub. I had a brief chat with Dolly as she was leaving – and she remembers you quite well."

"Sam – what are you doing?" Jack hissed. He moved around and stood in front of her. The poor bailiff looked completely freaked out. This had probably never happened to him before."

"Stop", McDonald said quietly to the bailiff, who suddenly looked terribly relieved. The judge sat back in his seat, an air of defeat all around him. "Don't you try and blackmail me", he said to Sam. "I'm a judge – and you'll find yourself in serious trouble."

"Blackmail you, Your Honor?" she said, more calmly this time. Daniel was still standing beside her, as if to protect her, and Jack was standing in front of her, also with an air of being willing to throw himself in front of a bullet for her. "I was not suggesting any kind of blackmail. I was only telling you what we would do if you ruled against Colonel O'Neill. It is all perfectly legal and above board. I simply said we'd appeal – and explain why we believed your decision was arbitrary, biased and made out of anger and spite."

"Uh Your Honor", Layton stood up in the midst of the fray. He had a determined look on his face – and Jack realized again how much he liked this guy. "Major Carter is correct in that we will appeal. However, as this is your court we would never presume to influence your decision and Major Carter was in no way attempting to do so. We simply ask that you take into consideration all the evidence presented and which I have made available to the court. We appreciate your caution, especially considering the welfare of three children is at stake, however we believe that a swift and fair decision is in order. The Benton children have been through much trauma and need a safe and loving home – something which they have with the Colonel. I ask again that you give full guardianship to Colonel O'Neill, and allow these children an opportunity to get on with their young lives. I believe we would _all"_ he looked the judge squarely in the eye, "prefer not to have an appeal. I'm sure you would much rather have time to visit your poor mother in Pittsburgh!"

God – Jack looked at Layton with renewed respect. How the man could have said all that with a straight face was beyond him. _He_ really, really wanted to get up and shout at McDonald and tell him he was the king of all ass holes – but he knew that wouldn't have helped anything. He glanced then at Carter – overwhelmed by her defense of him. He hadn't quite processed it yet – but knew she'd just thrown everything on the line to help him – had even risked going to jail for his sake. Damn – he felt like he was about to lose it here. First the business about Charlie and then an out an out rescue from his 2IC – he was feeling surprisingly emotional and shaky - although he'd deny it to his dying day.

"I have reached a decision", the words came out clipped and angry from the judge's mouth. The moment had arrived.

* * *

Matt looked out the window again, wondering where Uncle Jack was. He'd had a good time today, playing with his old friend Jeremy. When they'd arrived back in Grand Rapids, Uncle Jack had told him they were going to spend the day with the Wrights. They'd been great friends of his parents and he and Jeremy used to play together all the time. Mrs. Wright had taken the girls shopping and then had come back and put Ali down for a nap. She was now making cookies, Chloe helping her in the kitchen.

It had all been good – although he'd found it kind of hard when he first arrived. The house reminded him of his parents and the times they'd been here together, and he'd burst into tears. Fortunately Uncle Jack was still with them and had given them all hugs and kisses. Once he'd gone Mrs. Wright had hugged him too and soon he and Jeremy were playing. Still, now he was tired and was missing Uncle Jack and Auntie Sam and Uncles Teal'c and Daniel. Something was going on with them, although he was still too little to understand it all. He knew he just really wanted to see them.

It was a little while later, when he was seated in the kitchen with Jeremy and his sisters, all happily eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking milk, that he heard a car door close.

"Uncle Jack", he cried, standing up quickly. His cry was quickly echoed by those of his sisters and the three children rushed to the front door. Beverly Wright shook her head and smiled. She'd been devastated when she'd heard what had happened to her friend Terry-Lyn and knew the children had suffered. She'd been relieved when it turned out there was a relative to take them. She'd been surprised, however, when he'd called Saturday and had explained that the Principal from Matt and Jeremy's school had given him her number. He explained what was happening and that he needed a place for the kids to stay.

"I could get a babysitter", he'd said, but I'm a little nervous about leaving them with a stranger", he'd explained. "They're still dealing with their parents' death."

Of course she'd been more than happy to help out. Her son Jeremy was thrilled – he'd missed his friend Matt.

When she'd met Colonel O'Neill she hadn't been quite sure what to make of him. However, after a full day of "Uncle Jack this, and Uncle Jack that, she knew the children were lucky to have found him."

She grinned and wiped her hands. It sounded like he was back. She'd better go out and make sure everything was okay. She didn't know what the children would do if he didn't get custody.

Her son opened the door as soon as the doorbell rang. Standing there, looking handsome in his uniform, was Colonel O'Neill.

"Uncle Jack!" three voices rang out in unison and three little bodies threw themselves at the man. Beverly noticed that three other people stood behind him, all with huge grins on their faces.

"Hi munchkins!" he cried, squatting down and trying to hug them all at once. "I hope you've been good!"

"Wees was good Uncow Tzak!"Ali cried. "Wees eetin choco chiwp cookies!"

"Yum", he said grinning, "That sounds good." He reached out and wiped a bit of chocolate off her face with his finger. He put it in his mouth. "Tastes good too!" He looked at Matt. "Everything okay buddy?" he asked seriously.

Matt grinned and hugged the Colonel again. "Yes Sir – everything's great. Jeremy and I played all day. The girls shopped for clothes", he said, with all the contempt a male has for the female art of shopping. "But we're having cookies now. You can have some if you want – they're real good!"

"Uncle Jack", Chloe said softly before he had a chance to respond to the offer of cookies. "Did you come to take us home?" She sounded a little lost, as if afraid he was going to leave her here.

Jack pulled her closer and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Looking at all three of his kids he answered. "Yes, I've come to take you home."


	23. Of Decisions and Barbeques

_**A quick note on the 'Hearing'. One of my readers (an expert) pointed out I was way off on my portrayal of the hearing. I apologize – a good writer should always do research. I can give an excuse of lack of time – which is true but is really no excuse because it's horribly irritating to read something you know is completely inaccurate. At a future date, when I have more time, I'll edit my story and use the excellent advice the reviewer gave me and make the chapters more realistic. In the meantime – for all of you who are experts – please forgive me. I hope you can just grin and bear it for now! On to the story … **_

_**Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy. Nearing the end folks ….One more chapter to go after this. **_

Jack looked through the glass door to where the kids were playing inside. Mrs. Wright had fixed them coffee and had asked them to stay, wanting to hear the details of what had happened. Since she'd watched the kids all day he couldn't very well refuse. However, after a while he'd stepped out onto the patio, needing a moment of quiet and fresh air. He still couldn't quite believe that the children were now his – at least legally. In his heart they'd been his for many weeks now – basically since the moment he set eyes on them. He'd needed to get away from the noise and commotion, just for a moment, to try and process everything.

He then looked at his teammates, who were all enjoying chocolate chip cookies while playing with the kids. He smiled slightly, grateful for their presence, not only here, but in his life.

Just then Sam looked up at him through the window and smiled and he felt his heart stop for a brief moment. With a slight quirk to his lips he motioned for her to come outside. She leaned down and said something to Chloe and then led her by the hand out to the patio.

"How are you two doing?" he asked as they arrived. He was pleased to see Chloe looking happy and so obviously comfortable with Sam.

"Good Uncle Jack", Chloe answered. "Auntie Sam said we're going to go home tomorrow. She said we can go back to the zoo and see the baby koala again before school starts."

Sam gave him a slightly apologetic smile. "I hope that's okay Sir?" she said. "I just thought it might be a nice treat for the kids."

"Sounds like an excellent plan Carter. Would you like to invite Uncle Danny and Uncle Teal'c this time?" he asked Chloe.

"Yes!" Chloe answered, a big smile on her face. "And can we take a picnic Uncle Jack?"

"Hmmm, a picnic", he frowned. "I don't know about that. What do you think Auntie Sam? Do you think we could manage a picnic? Maybe Uncle Daniel and Uncle Teal'c could help?"

"I think a picnic is a great idea Sir, as long as we make sure that Teal'c is in charge of drinks. I don't think I could handle another Chulakian hot dog!"

Jack laughed, remembering the time Teal'c had treated them to a delicacy from his home world. The rest of the team had spent the weekend in their bathrooms, getting up close and personal with the toilet. "You've got it Carter!" He then reached down and picked Chloe up and swung her around. "The zoo and a picnic it is! Why don't you go ask Uncle Daniel and Teal'c if they want to come?" He set her down and in two seconds she was off, happily looking for the other adults.

"It's great to see her so happy Colonel", Sam said softly. "I was worried about her."

"Me too", he sighed. "She's coming along great, but it's still early days yet. And then, of course, we have the teenage years to look forward to."

Sam grinned and nodded but didn't say anything. Both of them were remembering some of the things Cassie had put Janet through. Although she'd seemed to cope well with the death of her parents, everything had seemed to rise up again at the same time the hormones started. "Still, she seems pretty happy and with all the love she's getting I know she'll do okay."

"Yeah", he paused, "Uh – Carter – thank you. I know you had a lot to do with that and I really appreciate all your help with the kids."

"It's no problem Sir, really. I love them too and I'm just glad that I could help."

He paused again and then turned to her fully. Reaching out with his hands he put them on her shoulders. "And that's not all I have to thank you for. What you did today – I think you made the difference and it's because of you I got the kids."

"Oh – no Colonel", she stumbled over her words. "I mean – I'm glad if I could help, even just a little, but I don't think I did -"

"Carter! Shh. You _did_. You were", he stopped and grinned, "awesome! When you stood up to the judge like that I could just picture you in your BDU's, a P90 in your hand, facing a row of Jaffa. It's a good thing Judge McDonald didn't know who he was up against."

"I was actually worried I'd made a fool of myself", she confessed. "It's just that he made me so _angry_. I mean, how dare he say those things to you! You didn't deserve that."

"Make a fool of yourself?" he asked, incredulously. "Sam, I've _never_ seen you make a fool of yourself – well, except maybe for PX3 2Y0." He grinned at the glare she gave him for reminding her about _that_ episode. "No really Sam, you are the least foolish person I know. As for whether I deserved it – Sam, he didn't say anything that wasn't true. Layton had warned me to expect it. I was actually surprised I'd gotten off as lightly as I did before that."

"What? No Sir – what happened was a terrible accident. How could they possibly -"

He placed a finger over her lips. "Sam, McDonald was an idiot, but the fact is, they had to look at whether or not I'd make a good guardian for the kids. What happened to my son – it speaks to that. Yes, I know they called it an accident, but I _was_ responsible and frankly, the thought of taking the Benton kids scared me. I mean, I'll make damned sure nothing like that ever happens again – but it's something that had to be faced and dealt with. I'm grateful that the social worker didn't see it as a problem, and that she recommended I get the kids, but I don't blame them for looking into it."

Sam still looked mutinous, although she nodded slightly. "Fine, but I still think it was awful. I've never seen anyone who is a better father than you are and those kids are lucky to have you!"

He reached out to touch her cheek, but pulled his hand back before it made contact. Dropping his arm to his side he sighed softly. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

She looked into his eyes, surprised to see how unguarded he looked suddenly. There were very few times, since she'd gotten to know Jack O'Neill, that she'd seen him look quite so open, so approachable. Usually he covered up his true feelings with humor or sarcasm or anger – or retreated into the tough soldier that he became on missions. But now he was looking at her with – something – something she hadn't seen in a long time. She had seen it when they were looking at each other from either side of a force field, she had seen it when she was Thera and he was Jonah, she had seen it when he'd woken from the cryogenic chamber after the goa'uld, implanted by Hathor, had died. There were a few other brief moments in their years together, when she had seen that look - usually when one of the other of them had almost – or actually - died or had something terrible happen. But it had been a while now – a long while. So long, in fact, she had thought that it, whatever _it_ was, no longer existed.

It was a moment out of time and neither of them moved but simply kept looking, deeply, into each other's eyes. Jack slowly lifted his arm again and reached –

"Jack, Sam, you guys in here?"

Daniel again! Jack blinked and quickly lowered his arm, and his eyes. "Out here Daniel", he said, stepping back. "What is it?"

"I think Ali is getting tired. She erupted into tears a minute ago."

"Oh, I'd better go check on her."

"No, it's okay. Teal'c's got her and she seems happy for now but I just thought I should let you know."

"Yeah, thanks. It's time we got back to the hotel anyway." He turned to Sam, who still hadn't moved. "Uh Carter, would you see if you can get Chloe? I'll go say thanks to Mrs. Wright and bring Matt out to the car."

"Yes Sir", she said softly as she watched him walk back into the house.

"You okay Sam?" Daniel was looking at her strangely.

"I'm fine Daniel, just tired I guess. I'd better go get Chloe."

Daniel continued to stare long after she was gone. He'd interrupted something, that was obvious. What wasn't obvious was what it was.

The kids were all excited the next day to be heading back to Colorado. When Jack heard Matt tell his sisters that they were going 'home' he had to take a deep breath so no one would see how emotional it made him. He had a reputation to protect, and there was no way he wanted anyone to see a blubbering full-bird Colonel!

"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter appear to be rather quiet", Teal'c observed when they were halfway into the flight. He and Daniel had been keeping the kids amused while the two military members of the team had pretty much stared out of their windows – on opposite sides of the plane.

"Yeah, I noticed", Daniel answered. "Something's going on with them, but god only knows what."

"There have been many changes", Teal'c observed, "and O'Neill is attempting to determine what direction his life will now take."

"I know. I just wish we could help but it's going to have to be his decision. All we can do is give him our support. I just hate the thought that he may decide to leave the team."

"As do I, Daniel Jackson, as do I."

By the time they arrived at Jack's both Chloe and Ali were asleep, although Chloe stirred slightly when Jack transferred her to the car. "It's okay sweetheart", he told her, "Just go back to sleep."

"'Kay Uncle Jack", she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but think of what she'd been like just a few short weeks ago and knew how lucky he was to have won her love and trust. Chloe was a very special little girl.

Ali slept through the entire transfer. Teal'c took her and carried her to the car and gently placed her in her car seat. Jack couldn't help but grin at the sight. Teal'c was a favorite of the little girl and he loved to see them together. Ali brought out all the best parts of Teal'c and when he was with her there was no way Jack could think of him as the strong warrior that he was. He'd never tell that to Teal'c of course. The Jaffa would be horrified to think that he looked more like a big teddy bear than a fierce fighting man.

"Thanks guys", he told his team, after the kids were all safely in their beds. "I owe you all for this – I couldn't have done it without you."

"That's what friends are for, Jack. We know you would have done the same for us."

"Yeah, except maybe for the part with Mi -"

"_Jack!_" Daniel said sharply. "Don't you dare!"

"What's he talking about Daniel?" Sam asked with a puzzled look.

"Nothing Sam, absolutely nothing. Jack, if you value your Simpson's collection - !

"Daniel, you wouldn't!" Jack said, sounding shocked.

"You bet your life I would. Just keep your mouth shut and Homer and Marge will be safe!"

"Huh – blackmail! I didn't know you had it in you Jackson!" Jack suddenly got a speculative gleam in his eye. "You fraud you!" he said.

"What?" Daniel asked, looking innocent.

"You said you've never watched the Simpsons, that you don't know anything about them. But you _have_ watched them, haven't you? You are a fraud Dr. Jackson!"

"Hey, what else could I do when you were stuck on all those planets? I came over to watch your house and it's not like you have a bunch of documentaries on DVD or anything educational. All I could find was the Simpsons."

"Fraud – total fraud."

"I believe the children are getting tired Major Carter", Teal'c finally said. "Both Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are becoming fussy."

"_Fussy", _chimed both men, giving him a dirty look.

"Teal'c, I'll have you know I am just fine. I am _not_ tired", the Colonel answered sharply.

Sam looked at Teal'c skeptically and then at the Colonel. With a sigh she said, "I'm afraid that's what they all say Sir. I think Teal'c is right – you need to get to bed and to sleep. The children will probably be up early tomorrow." She stood up. "And I'm afraid it's time for me to go as well. I could use a nice hot bath and then an early night.", she said. "Just call if you need any help with the kids Colonel."

"Thanks Carter", Jack stood up as well. "Even though I'm _not_ tired, I think I'll have an early night too – maybe read in bed or – hey, watch some Simpsons!" he smirked at Daniel. " By the way, I was thinking of maybe having a picnic this weekend to celebrate – I was going to invite some of the folks from the SGC – some of the families maybe, with kids."

"Sounds fun Jack", Daniel replied, also getting up. "Let us know what we can do."

Once his friends had all said goodbye, Jack continued to look out the window at the lights and the stars. Life was good now – so why the hell did he feel like he was standing on the edge of a cliff?"

The screams of the children reverberated through the neighborhood. He would have worried except that his neighbors were here and some of the screams belonged to their children. He'd decided to invite not only some of the folks from the SGC, but also a few of the families from down the street. He'd always gotten along well with his neighbors but hadn't really socialized too much as he was away so often. Now however, he figured it was time he got to know them and their kids. Chloe had already met a little girl from a couple of doors down and seemed well on her way to making a new best friend.

He took a swig of beer and looked around his backyard. People were standing in groups, eating hotdogs and hamburgers and drinking various drinks while their kids ran in an out among them. A small group was merrily chasing Teal'c with water pistols. He wasn't sure who was having more fun, him or the kids.

He was interested to see that Daniel was in deep conversation with Jennifer Coldwell, his neighbor from a couple of houses down. Jennifer was a pretty brunette in her mid thirties whose husband had been killed in a traffic accident a couple of years ago. He had left her with two young children. Jack had often helped her with various things around her house and yard. He raised his eyebrow, wondering if there was any possibility -

"Nice party Sir", Sam's voice startled him.

He turned his head sharply, his bottle raised halfway to his mouth. "Carter! Hi, I didn't hear you."

"Losing your 'spidey sense' Sir?" she grinned. "I never used to be able to sneak up on you like that."

"I guess I'm just getting old Carter", he sighed dramatically.

"Old Sir?" she scoffed. "You? No, I expect it's because you're relaxed and happy – and in your backyard. There probably aren't a lot of Jaffa around – well, except for the obvious one of course. If we were on a mission you'd be every bit as alert as usual."

"Yeah, I guess." He paused for a second. "Although I think maybe – I'm losing my edge." He took another drink of beer and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she'd say.

"I think", she paused and looked fully at him. "I think that what I said before is true. If you were on a mission you'd be as sharp and 'on edge' as always. You're too good a soldier to be anything else. But here, on earth – I think you _are _different" she agreed, "not so much 'on edge' as you used to be."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really?" He wasn't quite sure how to respond, or whether he should.

She looked equally as uncomfortable, wondering if she was stepping over the line. "Yes. I think – I think the children have brought a measure of peace and contentment to your life that you haven't had in a long time Sir, and it shows."

He turned and looked back out, over the yard where all the people were laughing and talking. He could see Matt and Chloe running, still trying to squirt Teal'c with the water pistols. He wasn't quite sure why, at this point, as the Jaffa looked pretty soaked already.

"I think you're right Carter", he finally said, realizing that what she said was true. He _did _feel content and at peace – or almost. Life felt like it was settling back into something approaching normal – although a _right_ normal, if that made sense – and it was something he hadn't experienced since - before Charlie. There were only two things that were still causing him some anxiety – one was his career, the other – well, that other was standing beside him and unfortunately there was nothing he could do about that one.

"Uncow Tzak!, Uncow Tzak!" This time it _wasn't _Daniel, but Ali who interrupted. He gave Sam a lop-sided smile, wondering if they'd ever be able to have a complete conversation.

"What is it Munchkin?" he asked, looking down at the little girl. She grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the house.

"Come!" she said. "Come wif me!"

"Okay, but where are we going?" he wanted to know. He looked at Carter and shrugged. By this time a number of people had noticed and were watching as the tiny little girl attempted to pull him along. Almost everyone was charmed by the site, and those that knew the Colonel's history were grinning – happy to see how life had finally turned out for him.

"To da potty!" she cried. "Awee goed poo poo in da potty. Come see Uncow Tzak!"

He heard the laughter and couldn't help but roll his eyes, slightly embarrassed. After they'd gotten back from Michigan he'd known he had to start serious potty training with Ali. She was old enough and ready – since she was now waking up in a dry diaper. He'd gotten some books from the children's book store and was using lots of praise and rewards. Of course, he hadn't quite expected her to announce it in the middle of a party.

"Hey Uncle Colonel", yelled Ferretti, "you sure you can handle this all by yourself or do you need the rest of your team?"

"Of course he can", called out Dave Dixon. "He's Black Ops, remember. They can handle anything!"

Everyone laughed, including Sam. The Colonel looked at her and scowled. "You too Carter?"

She laughed again. "It's just your face Sir! You kind of look like you're going into battle."

"Come _on_ Uncow Tzak!" Ali pulled him harder but then suddenly stopped and let go of his hand. She ran back and grabbed Carter's. "Come Auntie Sam. Awee went poo poo – come!"

Everyone laughed even more at that and Sam could feel herself turn red, but dutifully went with her. Ali then grabbed Jack's hand and the three of them walked into the house together, followed by the sniggers of other parents – and their colleagues at the SGC.

"Well, that was rather domestic", someone commented after they'd gone. Daniel was staring after the trio, looking pensive. He finally turned his head and caught Teal'c's eye. Oh boy – what now?

Ali pulled them up stairs and down the hall to the main bathroom where her little potty chair was. Jack and Sam had to dutifully admire the 'evidence'. Jack got down and gave Ali a big hug.

"What a good girl you are Ali", he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You're getting so big! Uncle Jack is very proud of you and I bet Auntie Sam is too!"

"Of course I am." Sam bent down and gave the beaming girl a kiss. "I'm _very_ proud of you."

"Awee went poo poo in da potty!" she announced again. "Stickow?"

"Of course!" Jack straightened up and turned and got a sticker book down from the shelf. "What sticker do you want this time?" He held out a sheet.

"Bart!" she called and began to try and peel it off the sheet.

"Simpsons Sir?" Sam grinned.

"Of course Carter – Ali loves them, don't you munchkin?"

"Yup", she answered happily as she watched the Colonel place the sticker in her little 'reward' book.

Sam stood there watching as the Colonel reached down and emptied the little potty into the toilet. She couldn't quite believe this whole scenario. Never in a million years would she have pictured herself standing in a bathroom with her commanding officer, admiring a potty of – poo!

"Bye, bye poo poo", Ali waved as the 'evidence' was flushed down the toilet. She then smiled and ran out of the bathroom, happy that she'd pleased her favorite adults, but ready to get back to playing with the other kids.

Jack watched as she left and couldn't help but grin – not just at the little girl, but at the whole situation. He glanced up at his Major and suddenly it was too much. He started to laugh and soon was bent over, unable to stop.

Sam started to giggle and soon was as caught up as the Colonel in the moment. Daniel found them there, a few minutes later, both sitting on the floor of the bathroom, laughing hysterically.

"Uh – you okay guys?" he asked, an eyebrow lifted in concern.

"Fine", Jack gasped out. "You missed the touching – goodbye scene!"

Sam howled at that, clutching her side in pain. The two of them continued to roll around, still laughing madly.

"O- kay", he said. "I just thought you might want to join the party again. Ali's been back for a while."

At that Jack began to sober up, realizing that they'd been up here rather a long time and it wouldn't look too good, especially with the general downstairs. He pushed himself to his feet and stuck his hand out, helping Carter back up. "Thanks Daniel", he said. "We just – "

"Yeah, I know", Daniel replied. "It _was_ kind of funny though. You two should have seen your faces! I think Teal'c got a picture."

"_Daniel!"_

"Hey, it wasn't me! And anyway, Ferretti and Dixon and some of the other guys are here. I'm afraid you're not going to hear the end of it!"

Jack sighed and shook his head, knowing it was true. He was just glad that none of the Marines were around. He was pretty sure the Air Force guys would keep it to themselves, although he knew he was in for some teasing. He glanced quickly at Sam, glad to see that she still looked okay. He felt bad for putting her in an awkward situation, but she didn't seen too worried.

"Thanks Sam", he finally said, quietly. "I know that was kind of -"

"Funny Sir", she interrupted. "It was funny – and sweet – and kind of embarrassing – but I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

He stopped and stared at her for a moment, and then started walking again. "You've really got to get a life Major", he said, shaking his head.

Daniel glanced between the two of them and grinned.

When they got back outside, Jack decided it was best not to stay close to Carter or it _would_ give rise to rumors, something neither of them needed. He knew that there had been enough of those over the years, but he was pretty sure they'd died down in the last few. The last thing he wanted was to start them up again.

"Jack." General Hammond was sitting on a lounge chair on the lawn and gestured for him to come over. Jerry, his next door neighbor had just stood up after a long chat with the General so Jack took the now vacant chair.

"Sir. I hope you're enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Absolutely. It's good to get out and just relax for once. My granddaughters are having a great time as well."

Jack looked out to where the girls were now engaged in the 'climb on Teal'c' game. "Poor Teal'c, I think he's been the major source of amusement for the kids all day."

"Yes, and he loves it", the General grinned. "Who would have thought that someone with – his background", Hammond said carefully, "would end up being the life of the party."

"Oh, I don't know Sir, I kind of figured Teal'c was a party animal the first time I saw him."

Hammond barked out a laugh. "You're a better man than I am Jack if you could see that in Teal'c back then."

Jack grinned. "Another beer Sir?" he said. He stood up and walked the few steps to the cooler and grabbed one for himself and the General when the other man replied in the affirmative.

"So Jack", George said after taking a long drink of the cold liquid. "It seems everything is going okay on the home front."

"Yes Sir", he grinned. "It's good. Thank you again for all you did."

"Pshaw!" the General said. "You know it was mostly Walter. I just gave him the time to look into things."

"I know you did more than that Sir, so thank you! Speaking of Walter", Jack looked around, "where is he?"

"He's over there", Hammond pointed to where Walter was standing next to a rather voluptuous looking woman. "Have you met Sergeant Howard yet? She just transferred in from Nevada. Walter is training her on Gate operations."

"Really?" Jack watched for a moment and couldn't help but grin. "I'm sure he's finding that hard!"

General Hammond laughed again. "Well, I figured he needed some reward for helping you!"

The two men shared another laugh and settled back in, relaxing in the warm afternoon sun. After chatting for a while about sports and kids, Hammond looked seriously at his 2IC. "So Jack, have you given anymore thought about what you want to do? School will be starting soon and your leave is almost over." George looked at the three young children happily playing with the other kids, and thought about how much they had changed the man seated beside him. He also knew that they could potentially change things at the SGC.

Jack sighed and looked at the children as well. Ever since he'd gotten the guardianship confirmed, he'd thought non-stop about his options. He wasn't ready to give up his career – the thought of retiring didn't appeal to him, not now, not since he felt like life was finally turning out for him. At the same time, he really didn't see how he could keep putting himself in danger, not while he had the responsibility of the children. Oh, he knew that others did it. There were married men and women with children who were on teams – but all of them had partners. If something happened to them, there was another parent left. Not that it would be easy, but at least their children wouldn't be left orphans. In the case of the Benton children, they were already orphans – and he knew he couldn't continue in such a dangerous profession. It just wasn't fair to them.

He sighed again. "I – don't think I can go back Sir", he said softly. "It's not that I want to leave, but I can't see myself doing a job where I'm away so much."

"You could get a live-in nanny Jack", the General suggested.

"Yeah, I know, but it's just not the same. After what they went through I don't know if I could leave them that often." He grew silent then, watching not only his children, but his teammates as well. "I just wish -" he stopped and grew quiet.

"I understand Colonel", George answered. "As much as I hate the thought of losing you, I kind of figured you'd say that. Have you told your team?"

"No, and I don't know how I'm going to. I mean, it's not that they can't get along without me, but – hell, you know what it's like Sir! We're more than a team and the thought of not going out there with them, of not being able to protect them – it's killing me."

"They'll do fine Jack. You've trained them well."

"Hell, I know that General. In fact, they've saved my butt probably more than I saved theirs – it's just – I hate the thought of them going out there without me."

"You'll miss it", Hammond stated, not looking at the other man.

"Yeah, I'll miss it", Jack answered. "But I've gotten so much, with the kids and all, that I really can't complain. I'll just have to find something else to do to keep myself busy."

"Jack", Hammond turned to look at him. "I may have an idea, although I can't promise anything, at least not right now. But something has come up and I think it might be perfect for you if it works out."

"What Sir?" Jack looked at him expectantly. He suddenly looked suspicious. "It's not something with a lot of paperwork is it?"

Hammond laughed. "I'm afraid there's _always_ paper work in the military son. It's what we do. However I think this job will have a lot more excitement in it than that." For the next few minutes he went on to tell O'Neill about the new possibility. As he spoke he could see the increased interest in the other man's eyes. "So Colonel, what do you think? As I said, I can't promise anything, but I can certainly put your name forward."

"Yes General, I think I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"You're welcome Son, I hope it works out."

The two men sat there quietly, both contemplating all that they'd been through together – and the possibilities for the future. Jack's eyes rested momentarily on each member of his team, finally stopping on Sam. He thought briefly of their 'potty adventure' and couldn't help but smile. Maybe this thing would work out. He'd just have to wait and see.

_**Sorry about the 'potty humor' – but for all of you parents who've been through potty training, you'll know it's a true scenario! In this case I **__**have**_** done the research!**


	24. Kind of Sort of Maybe

_**A long one tonight - I hope you enjoy! Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and alerters! **_

He was pleased they'd all been able – and willing - to come. He was also grateful to George for letting all of SG1 take a week's leave, especially since they'd already taken time off to help him deal with Ronald Benton, aka Frank Morgan.

It was a week until school started and he hadn't yet told his team that he wasn't returning to SG1. He'd just received confirmation that he'd been chosen to lead the project Hammond had told him about. He was pleased, it meant he didn't have to retire, but was still saddened by the breakup of the team.

It had been seven amazing years; years of fighting, of pain and loss, of friendship and discovery. It had started out with the terrible trauma of losing his son, and now was ending with the addition of three young children in his life – and with the friendship of three people who were closer than family to him. He had many regrets in his life, but none about where he was now and who he shared his life with. He just wished the team didn't have to end.

He decided that he'd invite them all to his cabin – for one last time while they were still a team. The kids would love it there – Charlie had always loved the cabin and so had he when he was a child and his grandparents were still alive. It was a magical place, but also a place away from the cares of every day. Here he would inform his team that he was about to embark on a new life.

They arrived in the late afternoon and Jack asked Carter and Daniel to take the kids on a short hike. After sitting for so long they needed to run off some energy. Jack also needed time to get their room ready - something he was dreading, although he hadn't told his teammates.

His cabin, although not huge, had four bedrooms. It had been built by his grandfather who'd added on to it over the years. Although they didn't have a big family, Jack's grandparents had always liked to invite people to spend time at the cabin. Jack remembered fondly his childhood, when the place was full of people tripping over each other. His time at the cabin was a treasured memory.

After he and Sara had gotten married they'd only come up here a couple of times as a couple. Most of the time he'd been deployed either overseas or too far away for short weekend trips. When they'd had Charlie, however, things had changed. They'd started making it a custom to come for their summer vacations and had even managed it a couple of times over Christmas. When Jack returned home after his time in an Iraqi prison, they'd spent months here while he'd recuperated. The peace and solitude – and the love of his family – had helped heal him faster than any hospital or shrink ever could.

It was during that time that he'd fixed up Charlie's room and had made it his special retreat. Even though Charlie had been little at the time, he'd helped his father turn the room into a little boy's hide-away. After he'd died, the first thing Jack had done, when he'd come to the cabin, was to padlock the door. It hadn't been opened since.

When Teal'c had come with him that one time he'd noticed the locked door but hadn't said anything and neither had Jack. It was one of the things he most appreciated about his friend. Teal'c knew when to speak and when to stay silent. At the time, he had needed the silence.

Things had changed since then and Jack knew it was time to unlock that door and air out the room. With seven of them at the cabin this week they needed the space. However Jack knew it was more than that. It was time for him to let go. It was time, not to forget, but to move forward. His son would always be a part of him, but he knew he could let him be a good part of his life, not just a reminder of pain and guilt. The room needed to be opened to the light, as did his soul.

Still, it was even more difficult than he'd thought it would be to open that lock and that door. He stood in front of it, the key in his hand, but was unable to move. Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe it was not yet time.

There was suddenly a silent presence behind him and a strong hand reached out and grasped his shoulder. "I are here with you O'Neill", Tealc' said gently. "Do not be afraid."

He turned to his friend and tried to smile, although it was a pathetic attempt. He briefly touched Teal'c's hand with his and then took a deep breath and placed the key in the lock. Closing his eyes briefly, he turned the key. With a 'click' the lock fell open.

He looked at it in surprise, amazed that it had opened so easily. After all these years, after all the pain, it should not have been such a simple thing to open – but it was. He reached out a shaky hand and carefully removed the lock. He felt the hand squeeze his shoulder, which gave him the strength to reach out and open the door knob.

He closed his eyes again and gently pushed the door open. This time there was a squeak as the door protested. Jack could almost imagine it telling him this was Charlie's room – that he had no right to open it.

"It is alright O'Neill", Teal'c's voice told him. "This is the right thing to do. He would want you to live again."

He gave a sharp nod, willing to listen to his friend who had never steered him wrong, and pushed the door all the way open. He swallowed convulsively and stepped forward, allowing the pain and regret to wash over him.

The room was dusty and dark, the shutters closed. He could see the outline of the room and some of Charlie's toys, but couldn't see anything clearly. Unable to move, practically unable to breath, he stood silently, again wondering if this was a mistake.

He felt movement behind him and then Teal'c's outline passed in front of him. The next thing he knew the shutters were opened and light flooded the room. He squinted and held his hand over his eyes, unsure whether it was the sudden light or the memories which caused his eyes to water.

Teal'c returned to his side and again reached out with his hand, this time to steady the swaying man who was his friend. "Are you okay O'Neill?" he asked softly. "Do you wish to leave this room?"

It took a moment before he could speak but he finally shook his head. "No", he croaked. He tried again. "No, it's okay. This – I need to do this Teal'c. It's time."

"Indeed it is", he friend replied, "and I honor your courage for doing this. I am here to help you if you desire it, for I know this is difficult."

"Thanks Teal'c", he answered, so softly the other man could barely hear. "We spent hours fixing this up. He wanted a 'secret cabin' he told me – a place to hide away with his books and teddy bears and trains. He used to play in here for hours at a time on days when it was raining or too cold to go outside. I remember spending time with him on the floor, playing with him. Sometimes we'd get his mother to come in too and we'd build a fort and have a picnic on the floor." He turned to his friend. "They were magical times Teal'c. God, I miss him so much."

Teal'c had always been a quiet man, and somewhat formal. He was not as emotional or demonstrative as Daniel or as warm as Carter. He didn't joke or tease as much as O'Neill and yet, he was a caring man – and he loved Jack as a brother – as more than a brother – as one who had saved his life and his soul. Without a thought to what others would say he held out his arms and pulled his friend close.

Jack grabbed Teal'c's shirt in front and held on tightly, his head resting against the other man's shoulder. He could feel the tears gather in his eyes and then drip slowly down his cheeks. He didn't sob or cry loudly – he simply allowed the pain to fill him – the pain and the regret and the memories.

He continued to hold on to his friend tightly, needing the support, the comfort, the safety of his embrace. He relished the other man's silence and his love. It was what he needed right now.

After a few minutes – neither knew how many – they drew away from each other. Neither man knew whether it was Jack who had drawn back first, or Teal'c – although it didn't really matter. They both knew what had been needed. They also knew that what had happened would never be spoken of by either of them. It was a moment out of time – a moment of grace – for both of them.

"Thank you", Jack said quietly, not looking at his friend. A Kleenex suddenly appeared in front of his face and he half- laughed and took it. "Thanks", he repeated. "I didn't know you carried these."

"I have been a friend of Daniel Jackson's for many years", Teal'c explained. "Carrying them was a necessity."

Jack chortled, and if it was almost a sob, than no one would mention that fact. He surreptitiously wiped his face and stuck the tissue in his pocket. "Well, I guess I'd better get cleaning if the kids are going to sleep here tonight."

"I will help you O'Neill. Simply tell me where to find the supplies."

With Teal'c's help they quickly made headway through the room. Jack got a couple of boxes and put away some things he wanted to keep. He moved them to his room, knowing that he'd have to go through them carefully one day – but not today. Today was a time for the new children in his life. He could leave Charlie safely in his heart for now.

He didn't say anything more but knew that he never would have gotten through this without Teal'c. As much as he loved Daniel and – Sam – he realized that they would not have been the right ones to help him deal with this. Daniel was too emotional – he would have wanted to talk or to make him talk. Sam, well she he would have worried that it would upset her, and would not have allowed himself to fully grieve. He knew Teal'c cared and was deeply compassionate, but his quiet nature made it easier for Jack to simply feel – and not to worry about his friend at the same time. He also figured it was that, out of all of them, Teal'c was the one who had a child of his own. He would have more of an understanding of the depth of his loss. Yes, he was truly thankful for his Jaffa friend.

"I believe it is ready now for the children O'Neill", Teal'c stood looking around the room. "The spirit of your son is here O'Neill and together with your children he will bring back the joy to this room and erase the remainder of the dark memories. You did a good thing today my friend."

"Yes Teal'c, _we_ did! Come", he slapped his friend on the back. "I could use a beer and the kids will be back soon. Let's get some hamburgers going."

As he walked back towards the kitchen he still felt raw inside, but for everyone's sake knew he had to try and hide it. He also knew that Teal'c was correct – his three little squirts would help bring joy back to that room, just like they'd brought joy back to his life.

They giggled and laughed and played into the evening. Everyone, kids and adults included, were happy to be here and happy to be together. Eventually, one by one, the kids fell asleep, leaning up against an honorary 'uncle' or 'aunt'. Ali went first and Teal'c took her to her cot and tucked her in. Jack followed and watched as his friend gave the little girl a kiss on the forehead. He followed and did the same.

"Thanks Teal'c. You're a good man."

"As are you O'Neill."

Soon after that Chloe started to nod and in a few minutes was fast asleep, her head resting on Jack's legs. Matt was curled up beside Daniel, listening to him read a book. Jack knew he wouldn't be long for this world either, as his eyes kept trying to close and his head was nodding.

"I think it's time to get these two to bed", Jack whispered. He lifted Chloe up and took her into – not Charlie's room – no, into the kids' room and put her in the big bed. Daniel followed a moment later and placed Matt beside her. The adults looked for a moment at the three sleeping children and finally left them to their dreams.

That week was magical, for all of them. They spent most of their time outdoors although in the evenings they played games and read stories. Jack and Sam spent time teaching the kids to swim, while Daniel and Teal'c mostly watched from the sidelines. Occasionally they got Daniel to come in, but Teal'c studiously avoided the water.

"What? You're chicken Teal'c?" Jack teased him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the water."

"I am not, O'Neill", Teal'c answered disdainfully. As if a Jaffa would be afraid of a little water! "I do not like the idea of the fish in the water", he explained.

"The _fish_?" Jack said incredulously. "But they can't hurt you."

Teal'c simply raised his eyebrows and walked away. Jack looked after him for a moment, amazed at the things you learned about someone, even after years of knowing him.

One of the things that Jack had worried about, when he'd brought the children, was the fact that the lake was so close to the cabin. It was funny – when Charlie had been young they'd never thought about it. But now, he'd heard so much about children drowning in back yard pools, that he was aware of the danger. It had bothered him so much that he'd almost scrapped the idea of coming. That was until Sam had come up with a solution (didn't she always!).

She'd brought some electronic gizmos with her, and the first morning they were there had set up a warning system. If anyone of the children crossed it, it would set up an unholy noise. It would also warn the adults in time to get to the child before he or she got to the lake. It wasn't full-proof of course, and Jack instituted strict rules for the kids – but still, it made him a little less nervous.

The one time that Matt had disobeyed, and had gone out to the lake without an adult, he'd gotten in trouble. It was the first time Jack had really had to come down hard on the little boy – but he knew it was important. Matt had been given a time out in Jack's room (where there weren't any toys to play with) after receiving a stern lecture from his guardian. He'd been in tears – as much embarrassed as anything – but he'd come out later and apologized, and promised never to do it again.

The episode made Jack realize, again, the responsibility he'd taken on, and how easy it was for things to happen, no matter how good your intentions or you actions. On the one hand it upset him and worried him about the future. On the other, it strangely gave him a measure of comfort. For the first time ever he started to think – just maybe – Charlie's death _had_ been out of his control. He'd taught his son never to touch his gun – had told him so in no uncertain terms. He still should have kept it somewhere where the boy could never have gotten it – still, he had done the right thing in training him. He would just have to always assume that kids can and will disobey – so he had to be one step ahead.

Other than that one incident, everything was great that week. Even Teal'c claimed he had a great time. Jack had supplied him with heavy duty bug repellent and that had seemed to help. The others all said they'd had a wonderful time – and Jack was pretty sure they were being truthful.

"Well, they're finally asleep", he said, coming out to the living room. It was their last night at the cabin and the kids hadn't wanted to go to sleep. He'd read them three stories before finally insisting it was time. He kissed them and turned out the light and was pretty sure they were asleep in seconds. He then took a deep breath and headed out to the other room, knowing it was time to speak to his teammates.

He had decided not to say anything before tonight, not wanting to spoil their vacation. Still, they were all due back at work after Labor Day, and he couldn't hold off any longer. He'd been given two weeks to clear everything up and then he'd be ready to move on to his new position. Sighing he walked into the living room.

"They didn't want to go to sleep?" Daniel asked. He was idly looking through a book.

"No. It's always hard when it's the end", he said. "Even though it's time to move on, no one likes to give up a good thing."

"You're sounding rather philosophical tonight", Daniel said, sitting up and pushing his glasses up. "I have a feeling you're talking about more than the end of our vacation?"

Daniel had always been a smart one, thought Jack. He knew how to read people – and things and cultures and – stop procrastinating O'Neill. "Yeah, I'm talking about more than our vacation."

By this time Sam had sit up straight as well. She had a worried frown on her face and he hated what he was about to do. "Sir?" was all she said. It was enough to just about break his heart.

He slowly went and sat in the chair in front of the fireplace. It had been his grandfather's chair and he hoped that sitting in it would give him a touch of the old man's wisdom as he explained things to his teammates.

"For the past seven years I've been a part of the best team any soldier ever had." He spoke softly, and all you could hear in the background was the crackle of the fire and the sound of a pair of loons in the distance. "I found friends – and a family, something I'd lost. I had almost given up on life, all those years ago, until a geeky scientist took me through that gate and then threw himself in front of me and saved my life. I thought at the time that I was pretty worthless but the thing was, _he_ didn't think I was worthless and because of him, and then because of another geeky scientist", he smiled gently at Sam, "and finally a card carrying alien, I discovered that not only did I still want to live – I wanted to _live. _I wanted to keep fighting, to help our planet and to kick some evil alien butt and I wanted to do it with you three. It's been – a ride – a wonderful, terrible, exciting ride – but it's time for me to get off."

"Colonel – no", Sam entreated him. "Please, we still need you."

"No you don't Carter", he answered. "Oh, I hope you'll still need me as your friend – but you haven't needed me as your commander for a long time. You're an incredibly capable soldier and leader now – you'll do just fine without me."

"But it won't be the same Jack", Daniel said sadly. "SG1 – we're a team – a family, like you said. How can we possibly go on without you?"

"Daniel – it's time", was all he said. "Even if it hadn't been for the kids my time was running out. Going through the gate, fighting aliens and saving the world – that's work for younger ones than me. My knees don't have that much left in them. But the main reason is the children. I just can't do it to them guys. I know nothing is certain in this world, but I have to try and stay safe for them. They need me now – and as much as I'd like to keep saving the world, I think I have enough on my plate with three small children. Matt and Chloe and little Ali – they deserve to have me waiting for them when they come home from school. They don't deserve having someone tell them that I've been killed in the line of duty. I _can't_ do that to them and I won't."

Daniel looked sober and his eyes looked bruised, although he nodded. He didn't blame Jack, had known it was coming. Still, he couldn't believe how hurt he felt. The feeling reminded him of when he'd lost his parents, and then when he'd lost Shar'e. Ironically however, he also felt a sense of gratitude. This action of Jack's confirmed in him what a good man and a good friend the Colonel was. He would do whatever he needed to to protect those he loved – whether it was the children or his team. He was lucky to have him.

"I understand Jack", he finally told his friend. "And I support what you're doing. I'll miss you like crazy, but I know you're doing the right thing. Just don't forget us, okay?"

"Forget you? God Daniel, how the hell could I forget you? You're like a brother to me – a sometimes irritating, pesky brother who talks too much and gets in trouble a lot – but a brother!"

"Geez, thanks Jack", he groused, although the Colonel's words had lightened the mood and he was able to smile, although his heart felt sore. Daniel looked over at Teal'c and saw that the big man looked calm and resigned.

"O'Neill is doing the right thing", he said, when he realized Daniel was looking at him. "He needs to be with the children. Times change but our friendship will not."

"Thanks T", Jack said, nodding at his friend. He then – finally – looked over at Sam. This was the one that really worried him.

She sat, looking stunned, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Sam?" he asked pleadingly. God, please let her understand.

"It's okay Sir", she finally said, a wobbly smile appearing on her face. "I really do understand and I think you're doing the right thing. I just – I'll miss you Sir. As Daniel said, it's not going to be the same without you."

"Yeah, but we'll still be friends, right?" he asked hopefully. "I mean, you promised to come to the zoo with us and I know the kids love you and want to see you. We'll still have 'team night's' and barbeques. I mean – you're not going to forget your old commander, are you?"

She grinned slightly. "Of course not Colonel. I'll be glad to come to the zoo – and the next barbeque is on me."

He looked at her gratefully, a warmth filling his chest. He realized that the silence had gone on rather long when he heard Daniel cough. 'Uh great – on _you _you say? Do you even know _how_ to barbeque Carter?"

"Of course I do Sir. I've watched you all these years so I've had to learn _something_."

"Yeah, so you know what _not_ to do Sam", Daniel smirked.

Jack threw a cushion at him. The mood in the room lightened and Jack sat back, feeling relieved that things had gone as well as they had. He had been worried they'd be angry.

"So, does this mean you're actually retiring?" Daniel finally asked.

"Uh no. Actually, I've been offered another posting – which I accepted just before we came here. Hammond had told me about it but I didn't want to say anything until I knew whether it would come through."

"What is it?" Sam asked with a frown. "Are you going to leave Colorado Springs?"

"No I'm not. It's a new position", he explained. "Now that the Goa'uld are almost defeated, the powers that be in DC feel that there are further opportunities for exploration and building relations with other planets. The last few years have been about defending earth and we were pretty much flying by the seat of our pants. Now they'd like to develop a program to prepare more people for travel, both through the gate and in ships. I'll be commanding the new Stargate Training Institute – the STI. It'll be based partly at the Academy and partly at the SGC. Not only will we be doing combat training, we'll include cultural and language studies, and training in space flight and alien technologies."

"Wow!" Daniel exclaimed. Jack was pretty sure his eyes glowed – not because of an evil alien, but out of excitement. "I can't believe they're actually planning something like this. I mean – it sounds awfully intelligent for the Air Force -"

"_Daniel_" Sam exclaimed.

"Hey – I'm not trying to criticize here, but you have to admit the powers that be aren't always the most forward thinking."

"I think it is a brilliant idea O'Neill and you are the perfect person to lead such a command", Teal'c said.

"Thanks Teal'c", he grinned. "And the best part is that I occasionally get to go off world! We're setting up an off-world training camp as well and I'll do periodic evaluations of that, and of teams. I'll work closely with the SGC although it'll be a separate command."

"It sounds perfect Sir. I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah – thanks Carter. I was pretty pleased myself." He suddenly frowned. "Although I'll have to deal with a lot of newbies. They'll probably drive me crazy."

"Well, if you're in charge you can probably get someone else to deal with them."

He cheered up instantly. "You're right! I'll delegate. Hey, I wonder if George would let me take Walter?"

The rest of the evening, until late, was spent talking about Jack's new command. The others offered all sorts of advice, some of it serious, although the later it got the more bizarre the suggestions became until Teal'c announced it was time for bed. By this time all of them were slightly drunk, and made their way on unsteady feet to bed.

Just outside her room Sam stopped briefly and looked over at the Colonel, who was opening his door. "I'm happy for you Colonel, really."

"Thanks Carter", he answered softly. "I meant what I said you know – even though we're not on the same team anymore, you're a good friend and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't Sir, I promise." With a small smile and a 'good night' she entered her room and closed the door. Leaning up against it she sighed. Friends! I guess that's all you are Sam. With another sigh she got changed and got into bed. For a long time she lay there, looking out the window. She could see just a few stars, over the tops of the trees. She wondered if she'd ever get a chance to travel amongst them again with the Colonel. Probably not, she thought, as a single tear dropped to her pillow.

The next week was hectic, as Jack got the kids ready for school. He'd hoped that Carter and the others could give him a hand, but they were sent on a mission, and their return was delayed. In the end he'd co-opted Janet and Cassie and had done a blitzkrieg on the mall.

He'd also spent time locating a good nanny for the kids. He decided against a live-in, his house was really too small. Instead he found a woman who was able to stay over if and when needed. The rest of the time she'd handle things around the house and be there for the kids when they got back from school. Ali was only in nursery school for a couple of hours in the morning, so Nanny Amy, would watch her while Jack was at work.

Fortunately SG1 was back for the first day of school, and they all came as he dropped off the kids. Chloe was quite nervous but Jack watched as Sam talked quietly to her. By the time she had to go in, she was actually giggling. She then spotted her friend from down the street and was happy as a lark.

Matt was good – he'd already made a friend and happily waved goodbye as he went into the school. That left little Ali, who was clutching his hand tightly.

They drove her to her nursery school and Jack had to contend with tears when he went to take her in. He looked at his friends in surprise – Ali was the last one he'd thought would have trouble. She was usually so outgoing and friendly.

"It's okay sweetie", he told her, holding her tightly. "You'll be here for a little while and then Uncle Jack will pick you up. You'll get to play lots of games and make lots of new friends. It'll be fun."

"Awee no want fwends!" she said loudly. "I wans a gow wif you Uncow Tzak! No nursy skoo!"

In the end it took the teacher coming out and showing her around before Ali would let go of his hand. Eventually she was drawn into the class and sat down in a small chair. The adults left quietly, relieved when they heard her chatting away to another child."

"Phew", Jack said. "I'd forgotten how hard that could be. Charlie threw a fit the first day of nursery school. He screamed bloody murder!"

A week went by and things settled down into somewhat of a routine. The nanny seemed to be working out well – the kids liked her, although they always acted thrilled to see him by the end of the day. He only had one more day left at the SGC and then it was off to his new command. He admitted to himself that he was nervous. This was the first time he'd be in charge of a whole program, not just a combat team – or 'exploratory team' as in SG1.

When he arrived for his last day he made his way to his locker. He felt like there were more people than normal in the room, but didn't give it too much thought. It could be that more teams were scheduled to go out today than normal. As he neared his locker he noticed that there was something on the front. He frowned, wondering what it could be.

As he drew closer he stopped in disgust. What the hell! He approached cautiously and then heard a burst of laughter.

"FERRETTI!" He yelled. He knew it was that weasely skunk that had done this.

"What Colonel? Can't handle it? I thought you were special ops?"

"Very funny Ferretti! Only you could have done something this childish!" With that he reached out and pulled the rubber 'poo' off of his locker. He'd been wondering when that would come back to bite him. He guessed the guys decided to wait until his last day.

He went to toss it to Ferretti when the man threw up his hands. "Hey, that's a going away present for you Jack", the other man told him. "You never know when it might come in handy."

He shook his head in disgust, as the men in the room all laughed. He tossed the present into his locker and then quickly changed into his BDU's. A quick stop in the men's room and he'd head up for his last briefing.

Again, the silence should have warned him. He walked into the latrine and there, as bold as life, sat a child's potty chair with the name "Colonel Jonathan O'Neill" written on the top. There was loud laughter from the guys but this time he simply grinned and shook his head. He'd have to come up with something to get Ferretti – and probably Dixon as well. He figured the chair must be his. It would give him something to do to plan a swift and terrible revenge.

"Thanks guys", he said, walking back into the locker room. "I'll never forget this!" As he left the room he smirked at the rather worried look on the faces of his friends. Yup – revenge was going to be sweet.

"Colonel", Hammond looked up, "You're late."

"Sorry Sir. The men threw me a bit of a – going away uh party – in the locker room." By the innocent looks on Daniel and Teal'c's faces he knew they must have known about it. It also made him suspicious that someone must have had a camera. He'd have to look into this.

They did throw him an actual surprise party – of course – something he'd been kind of dreading – although in the end it was fun. He refused to get emotional, although that didn't stop others from doing so. He got a bit choked up himself when he was presented with a big wrench by Siler and the maintenance staff. A bunch of the others gave him gifts – many gag gifts but some real ones. He said a quick 'thank you' to everyone and looked up, as if expecting to be beamed up by Thor. When nothing happened he grinned and everyone laughed and resumed talking. By the time he went home – driven by an Airman at the insistence of General Hammond, he was feeling relaxed and rather sentimental. It _had _been a great seven years.

* * *

It was a few days later that Daniel was speaking to Sam about one of the items brought back by SG3 when Major Griff walked by. "Hey Jackson, I hear you're deserting us too! Ha! I knew Jack couldn't go without you! Good luck in the new job!"

"Uh – thanks Major", Daniel said. He turned back to Sam, who was looking at him in confusion.

"What was he talking about Daniel?" she asked.

"What? Oh, you know, about the positions in the training institute. When Jack first told us I remember thinking it would be something I'd love – you know, I could teach and do research – and still get to go through the gate. I guess Jack realized that we were perfect too and that's why he asked us to join him."

"Us?" she said, a frown on her face.

"Yeah – you, me, Teal'c. You know – this way we can keep the team together. I was sure you'd be thrilled too Sam." He seemed to realize something was wrong. "What – don't tell me Hammond won't let you go?"

"Huh?" she said, still staring at him. "I – I didn't know anything about it. When – did the Colonel – when did he _ask_ you?"

Daniel suddenly wanted to hit Jack O'Neill. Oh my God – he hadn't said anything to Sam. He'd just assumed that she'd be invited to work with the Colonel. He knew Teal'c had been asked and was seriously considering it. He'd be in charge of combat and alien weaponry while Daniel would head up the cultural and language studies department.

"Uh Sam – I – I'm sure he's going to say something to you. He probably just hasn't had a chance."

"When did he talk to you Daniel", she asked again.

Shit, shit, shit! He really was going to shoot the Colonel. "Uh – I don't know – not too long -"

"_Daniel!_"

"Uh about a week ago I guess."

"And Teal'c? Has he asked him too?"

"I – yeah, I think so."

She abruptly turned on her heels and stalked off towards her lab. Daniel considered following her, but decided it wouldn't help. Damn you Jack, he thought. What the hell were you thinking?

She should have known, she thought. A wave of hurt rushed through her. Friends – they were friends? But what kind of friend would do that to her? She'd seen him and talked to him just a couple of days ago. She'd gone over and had picked up Chloe and Ali to take them shopping. They'd still needed a few things and Jack had asked her with his puppy dog eyes. Well, see if she was going to do him anymore favors.

She worked in her lab for the rest of the day, refusing to answer the door when both Daniel and Teal'c came by to talk to her. They knew she was inside but hadn't pushed it when she didn't respond. Cowards! Men! Right now she wanted to zat the whole bunch of them.

When she returned home that night she got into her comfiest, ugliest sweats and grabbed a container of ice cream and a spoon. On her way to the living room she also grabbed a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. To hell with a glass. She was going to eat an entire container of ice cream and get roaring drunk and then cry her eyes out. She hated the Colonel!

"Uh Jack", Daniel's voice came through on the receiver, sounding as if something bad had happened.

Oh God – Sam! "What Daniel?" he sat up straight. "What's happened?"

"Well – Sam kind of found out that you'd asked Teal'c and me to work for you and that you didn't ask her. Jack – what the hell were you thinking? She's really hurt and upset."

"Damn!" he said. "I didn't – it's not like it seems Daniel", he finally got out.

"Well, it _seems_ really bad. She wouldn't talk to us and she locked herself in her lab all day. I think you need to talk to her."

Hell! He so hadn't wanted this to happen. "Daniel, can you come over? The kids are almost ready for bed but I need a sitter."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go see Carter and explain."

"Care to explain it to me too?" Daniel asked.

"Uh – no. Can you come over?"

Daniel sighed. "Alright, but you owe me. And I am _not_ looking after you if she beats the crap out of you – cause you deserve it!"

"I know Daniel, I know. Now just please get your butt over here."

By the time he arrived at Sam's place he was feeling sick. He knew he wasn't a coward – he'd proved that enough times throughout his life and career – but right now he pretty much _felt_ like one. There's nothing he wanted so much as to run away and hide. Still, he owed it to Carter to try and explain. He'd known all along that he wasn't handling things well. It's just that he hadn't known what to say. And let's face it O'Neill, you _are _a coward when it comes to Carter.

After sitting outside for almost forty-five minutes, he finally got up the courage to knock on her door. There was silence and then he finally heard footsteps. He could tell she looked through the peephole as it darkened, but instead of the lock being turned and the door opened, he heard more silence.

"Sam" he rattled the doorknob. "Please open up."

"Go away", she called. "I don't want to see you right now – Sir."

"Sam, please. I need to talk to you, to explain."

"There's nothing to explain Sir. Please, just go away."

"For god sakes, Sam, open up. That's an order!"

There was more silence and then the lock clicked. Before she had a chance to even touch the knob he'd opened it and pushed his way in. He shut the door behind himself and looked at his usually neat Major. Right now she was a mess. Damn, and he'd done this to her.

"You really can't order me to let you in Sir", she said. "This is my private home and life – and you're not even my commanding officer anymore."

"I know – and look, I'm sorry. I just really had to talk to you."

"Daniel call you?" she said as she turned away and walked to her living room.

"Yeah, he was worried."

"He didn't need to be. I'll be fine." She sat on the couch and ignored the tell-tale signs of ice cream and alcohol.

"Sam look, I wanted to come and explain. I didn't mean for you to find out like this -"

"That's quite alright Colonel. You really don't owe me an explanation. You can get whoever you want for your program. I'll be fine – I'm sure General Hammond will assign me a new team."

"So – you don't want me to explain?" he asked softly. He watched as her breathing seemed to speed up and her nostrils flared slightly. Without warning she turned on him furiously.

"What the hell did I do wrong Sir? I thought we were good together – you, me, Teal'c, Daniel? Why don't you want me? Tell me – did I screw up somehow, is that it?"

"No – of course not Sam – it's nothing you did -"

"Then why? I know you need a scientist – I heard Felgar and Chloe talking about applying. I think even Dr. Lee wanted to work for you. Why didn't you ask me? Did I do something?"

"No Sam", he said again. "It's not that – I wanted you to work with me, more than you'll ever know it's just -" he stopped and grimaced. Could he do this? Could he tell her? God, what if she looked at him in horror? What if she didn't want -"

"Sir?" she asked softly, the break in her voice clear. "Who did you take?"

"Uh – I haven't – made up my mind. I spoke with Dr. Safieh and was thinking I'd hire him."

"He's good – smart – you couldn't do better." She sat up and looked around for a kleenex. "I'm afraid – where are the children?" she suddenly asked. "What did you do with them?"

"Daniel's watching them. Sam -"

"That's okay Sir", she finally wiped her face with the back of her arm. "Just ignore me. It's been a long day and I'm rather tired."

"Sam – stop!" He took a deep breath and knew he was totally screwing this up. Come on O'Neill – show that you've got some balls here. "Sam listen, I messed this up. I meant to talk to you days ago – but just – I just didn't know what to say."

"That's okay Sir, you don't really owe me an explanation. Just ignore what I said."

"No, I'm not going to ignore it because you were right. I handled this badly because I was – scared", he admitted.

She looked at him in surprise. What was there to be scared of, she wondered. And then it hit her – he hadn't wanted to let her down. "That's okay Sir, I'm sure you have a good reason -"

"Will you shut up Carter and let me finish", he said in exasperation, running his fingers through his hair. "I didn't ask if you'd transfer because I didn't want you under my command."

She looked at him in shock, feeling a stab of pain at his words. She really couldn't believe he could be this cruel.

He gently grasped her upper arms. "Don't you get it Sam – I didn't want you to be under my command!"

She shook her head, still not understanding what he was saying.

"I - don't - want – to - be - in - the - same - chain - of - command – as - you!" he said slowly and deliberately. He watched as her expression went from hurt, to confused to – Her eyes suddenly opened wide.

"Oh", she breathed.

"Yes – oh. Do you understand what I'm saying Sam?"

"I – I think so."

He shifted uncomfortably, dropping his hands. He really wished he could read her right now. A moment ago he had no trouble – she had been horribly hurt. Now however- "Look", he said, again rubbing his hands through his hair. "I was kind of hoping we could – you know – I mean, we're friends right?" he looked at her hopefully.

She nodded slowly, but didn't answer.

She was really starting to freak him out, but he continued bravely. "We – years ago we – kind of – you know, the zatarc thingy and then – well, you know, when we had our memories erased we kind of - and of course, there was the time loop, but you wouldn't remember that -"

"What the hell are you talking about Jack?" she asked, seeming to come alive. Fortunately, her voice sounded exasperated, but in an affectionate kind of way. It gave him some hope.

"Well – I thought maybe we could see if there was still something – if maybe we could -" God, what was wrong with him. Suddenly he felt hands taking his and holding them steady.

"Just tell me", she said softly. Her eyes looked soft and warm.

He swallowed. "I thought maybe we could see if we could be more than friends", he finally got the words out. "If you were back in my chain of command we couldn't be – and I was hoping."

"And you couldn't tell me this before?" she said, somewhat indignantly.

"Well – I wanted to but I didn't know how. I was afraid you – I still don't if it's something you might – you know, want. I figured you'd be embarrassed or something, that you'd moved on and –"

She shook her head. "You, Jack O'Neill, are an idiot!"

"I am?" he said, looking at her hopefully.

"Yes, you are! Of _course_ I want that. I've wanted it forever."

"Well, when you were so upset at me I kind of figured that – you know, maybe you didn't want that."

"I didn't know you had _this_ in mind", she gestured between the two of them. "If you'd told me in the first place I wouldn't have been upset at all."

"No?" he said, a grin beginning to appear.

"No."

"Sweet!"

They sat there looking at each other, neither sure what to say or do. They'd kind of, sort of, moved to something different in their relationship, but where that was they couldn't say.

"So", he finally said.

"Yeah", she responded.

"Well – uh – I suppose – I should be getting back. Daniel will be ready to go home."

"I guess so." She stood up slowly. "Thanks for coming by."

"Uh – you're welcome Car – Sam. I'm just sorry about the – you know -mix up. You know that I'd love you on my team except for the chain of command thing, right?"

"I know now Si –er Jack."

"Okay then." He slowly made his way to the door. "So, we'll see you this weekend for a – ooph!" Suddenly Jack found his face grabbed. The next thing he knew Samantha Carter had pulled his head down and was kissing him passionately. He allowed himself about two seconds of surprise, and then joined in wholeheartedly.

How long it went on for – neither of them could afterward say. The eventually did have to come up for air however, and they separated and then each stepped back slightly. There was some embarrassment, a little uncertainty, and a lot of happiness on both their parts.

"So Carter – Sam, I'll call."

"You do that Jack", she grinned. She watched as he headed towards his truck. Just before he drove off he gave a little wave and a big grin. She waved back and then closed and locked the door. As she walked by the living room she spotted the melting tub of ice cream on the floor. With a laugh she picked it up and tossed it in the garbage on her way through the kitchen. She had no more need of ice cream.

"So?" asked Daniel as Jack opened the door. "What happened?"

"Nothing", Jack replied. "You'd better be getting home Jackson, unless you want to bunk out on the couch." He yawned. "See you in the morning."

"_Jack!"_

"Yeah? What?" Jack looked at him out of bleary eyes. "What is it?"

"What – happened – with – Sam?"

"Oh, that."

"Yes, _that_", Daniel said in frustration. "What happened?"

"Oh, she told me I was an idiot." Jack turned and walked up the stairs.

"Damn", Daniel groaned softly. How were they going to fix this?

"And then she kissed me!" Jack was looking down at him with a big grin. "Now go to sleep Jackson – and thanks."

Daniel watched as Jack walked down the hallway to bed. He'd have to call Teal'c in the morning.

"Damn!" he said again, but this time with a smile. As he lay down on Jack's couch, and pulled the blanket over him, he wondered what the future was going to hold for all of them. He smiled. Whatever it was, he kind of figured it was going to be good."

_**I was going to end it here – but realized I had to have a chapter with the kids – so an epilogue tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed!**_


	25. Not the End

_**Okay everyone – I had planned a short epilogue – really, truly I had! The only problem was that when I started writing the story began to grow and grow! I realized there was more I wanted to say – so – this is the continuing story – or the first epilogue. It's not the end yet. For those who wanted me to finish – I'm sorry, I hope you'll forgive me. For those who wanted a bit more, I hope you enjoy.**_

As far as first dates went, it was probably pretty much near the bottom for both of them. After an awkward start they'd continued on in much the same vein and now sat looking at each other, across the candle-lit table, without a clue what to say. Oh, the restaurant was beautiful, the food exquisite and the ambiance romantic – but they both felt like they would rather be anywhere but here. Jack was even thinking that Ba'al's weird gravity chamber seemed preferable to 'La Petite Chou', the pricey French restaurant just outside of Denver.

This is what she'd worried about all along, thought Carter. She had always known it wouldn't work if and when she and the Colonel decided to get together. How _could_ it work? She'd served under him for years, he'd been her commander. And he'd seen her at her worst. He'd seen her taken over by aliens – twice! He'd seen her focused to the point of obsession on her science, unable to let things go. He'd seen her spouting her 'chip on the shoulder', 'I am woman hear me roar' crap. And then there was her love life – any man or alien who loved her either died or went crazy. No, there was no way this was going to work!

He'd worried about this; worried that they'd finally get together as Jack and Sam and that it wouldn't work. How could it? He'd spent the last seven years telling her what to do. He, Jack O'Neill, career soldier and grunt telling her, Sam Carter, the most brilliant person in the universe what to do. How she'd taken it all these years he didn't know. And then there was the fact she'd seen him at his very worst. Hell, she'd _experienced_ him at his very worst. He'd _killed_ her, for god's sake. How could any woman love the man who had killed her? Okay – that was weird, he thought, but still – it proved a point. And of course he spent years watching as most of the men at the SGC and half the aliens out there fell in love with her. Any one of them would have sacrificed his life if so asked – except in the case of Jack O'Neill – who'd sacrificed _her_ life instead! And finally there was the fact that she'd seen him at his obnoxious best – rude, sarcastic, angry, insubordinate or so weak he didn't want to go on. No, there was no way this was going to work.

But of course, she thought as she looked across the table at him, when he'd picked her up she'd thought she'd died and gone to heaven. He'd shown up at her door, dressed totally in black, looking handsome and _oh _so sexy. She'd wanted to reach out and grab him, like she'd done in her hallway the other night, and kiss him senseless. No, that wasn't quite true – she had actually wanted to rip those sexy clothes right off and have down and dirty sex right there in that same hallway with him. God, he was so gorgeous.

Hell, she was so beautiful, he thought as he looked at her, unable to think of a damn thing to say to this woman he'd worked with for seven years. The candle light made the blue of her eyes seem deeper and even more enthralling than usual. He could drown in those eyes – and go quite happily. Yeah, he could drown – he just couldn't talk!

When she'd opened the door tonight he'd really thought he was going to disgrace himself. Gone was the flippant, always ready with a witty remark Colonel, and in his place was a tongue-tied teenager. And it wasn't just his mind that had turned adolescent – no, his body had gone along with it. He'd had to have a quick and very severe talking to himself right there on her doorstep, or he would have died of humiliation and embarrassment at what his body was wanting – okay, starting – to do.

When Jack had called her, after their little talk of the other night, and had asked her out on a real date, she thought there was nothing in the world she wanted more. She'd been so excited she could barely work. She'd actually asked the General if she could leave early for an important personal reason. Since it was something she'd never asked for, in all her years at the SGC, the General gave her the go-ahead, not even wanting to know the reason. If he'd known it was so she could buy a dress for her date with Jack, he probably would have been shocked and disappointed in his star officer.

She had been torn between elegant and sexy for the dress. In the end she decided to go for both. She purchased a classic 'little black dress'; the operative word in this case was 'little'. She decided that the Colonel had pretty much seen her in pants or her uniform over the past seven years. He needed to see a little more of Sam Carter – so the dress had been short, very, very short. When she had looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that she did have nice, long legs. She hoped the Colonel would appreciate the dress – and the legs.

She'd even picked a pair of stilettos to go with the outfit. Jack was one of the few men she knew who was tall enough for her to wear heels. Even with the shoes she would only just be his height – perfect for kissing him, she had thought at the time.

Well, the outfit had been worth it if Jack's expression had been anything to go by. She couldn't remember ever seeing quite that look on his face before. Mind you, she'd thought, if she had she probably could have accused him of harassment. It was _definitely_ not the look a commander should ever give a subordinate. But, from Jack to Sam it was – flattering.

So, the first few minutes of the date had gone pretty well until they'd actually had to start talking to each other. That's when the problem started. Neither of them knew what the hell to say! There were increasingly awkward pauses in the conversation and the longer they grew, the more uncomfortable both of them became.

"Anything more, Sir, Madam", the voice startled them both out of their silent panic.

"Uh – Sam, do you want some dessert or something?" Jack asked.

"No – thanks Sir, I'm fine." She closed her eyes – damn – she had to stop doing that. _Jack_, it was Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack – _**not**_ Sir, _**not**_ Colonel _**not**_ O'Neill, _**not**_ sexy man that I've wanted to jump for years. No, it was _**Jack**_.

"No, we're fine", Jack told the waiter. "The check please!" Good, maybe now they could get out of here. He was pretty sure he hadn't been this uncomfortable since he'd gone out with Suzy Blakey in the eighth grade and she'd tried to touch his –

"That was nice S – Jack."

He looked at her in surprise. How had she known about his – uh time– with Suzy? "Huh?" he looked at her in shock.

"The dinner – it was very nice Jack. I've never been here before."

Oh, thank God – she hadn't been talking about Suzy or his – "Uh, I haven't either." He answered. And I'm never coming again, he thought to himself. This was about as comfortable as Sokar's old place – the one they'd blown up. "Shall we go?" He stood up so quickly he almost knocked the chair back. Fortunately, the damned officious waiter grabbed it before it fell, looking completely unruffled by the whole thing.

He paid the – exorbitant bill – who knew it cost so much to spend an evening in hell - and they left the restaurant. He made sure to follow Sam – if this was his first and last date with her, at least he'd get to admire those legs and that a-

"Thank you Jack", she said again, "that was lovely". She tried to sound sincere, he knew, but the fact was it had been an abysmal date – and he was pretty sure it was all his fault.

"You're welcome", he'd answered, equally as formally and equally as falsely. Hell – he guessed he'd better just take her home and chalk this up to – wishful thinking and forbidden fruit. _Damn it to hell_, he thought. What is wrong with me that I can't even give her one nice evening? He'd been so looking forward to this all week – hell no, he'd been looking forward to it for years – and it had been a complete failure.

He opened his truck door and helped her in. It was difficult for her in her tight, short dress – and it gave him another opportunity to admire her legs. He was careful to only look quickly and surreptitiously and he was pretty sure she hadn't noticed. He then walked around to the other side to get in.

Well, at least he still finds me attractive, she thought, as she watched him checking her out. I guess it's just the person in the body he can't take. He obviously liked Sam the soldier, but not Sam the woman. She refused to think too deeply about it now, but knew the moment he dropped her off she was in for some serious 'cry into her pillow' time. And to think she'd gotten rid of her ice cream! God, now she'd just have to cry without it.

He drove quietly to her house, thinking the entire way that this was one of the worst evenings of his life – and that included being tortured and killed. He'd had such hopes – he'd wanted this so badly and now it had all gone to hell. He sighed – I guess that's just your life O'Neill. Did you think your luck was going to change?

As they drew near her house Sam had to bite down on her lip to keep from letting the whimper escape. She'd wanted this so badly, had wanted _him_ so badly. Why had it all gone so wrong! She closed her eyes, knowing that soon they'd be there and that would be the end of years of longing and hoping. It would be the death of a dream.

The car slowed and came to a stop. She sat for a second longer and then took a deep breath. Reaching out with her hand she grasped the door handle. Turning to thank Jack again, for a lovely evening, she was unprepared when the car suddenly shot forward.

"What?" she cried, not sure what had happened. She looked around - was there some threat that she hadn't seen? She looked at Jack's face, to see him with that look – that look that meant 'don't cross me unless you want your cajones shot to smithereens'. He looked angry and determined and scary as hell.

"Jack?" she said in a small voice. "What's going on?"

She saw him clench his teeth and shake his head. He wasn't speaking to her and she grew increasingly worried. What had happened?

He'd pulled up to Sam's house, knowing this was it, this was goodbye. He faced her, trying to gather the strength to say it – to say goodbye – when he saw her close her eyes and heard the soft noise which escaped from her throat. Even years later he was to insist it had been that noise – that small sound – that had made him put his foot to the floor and screech away.

Damn it all to hell! He wanted this – he wanted her. Why was he willing to give it all up so quickly? He had barely given it a chance. So the date had been a flop – it was just one evening. And anyway, why had he decided to take her to that place? It wasn't them.

He couldn't speak to her – he was too terrified and too angry – at himself, not at her. All he knew was that he had to go somewhere – somewhere away from fancy French restaurants and officious waiters and busybody friends and kids who adored her and Colonels who felt guilty and aliens who haunted him. He had to get her away and tell her how _he _felt – how Jack O'Neill, just plain old human being – felt about her. He had to tell her, to show her, without anything getting in the way. He just had to find the right place.

"Jack?" he heard her say again, but he couldn't answer, couldn't speak – not here, not yet. He had to wait until he got to a place where he could be just Jack.

She still didn't know what was happening, what was going on. That Jack was taking her somewhere was obvious but where it was she didn't know. After the first few minutes of fear she settled down. This was the Colonel – no, stop, wait – this was _Jack_ – and she trusted him with her life. In fact, she had trusted him with her life many times – her life, her soul, her honor. This was Jack. She knew she'd be okay, so she settled back and waited to see where he was taking her.

They drove for almost an hour, neither of them saying anything. They'd left the city behind and had travelled up a mountain road, up beyond the city lights and houses and civilization. Finally he came to a stop beside a small lake. He turned the truck off and suddenly there was quiet and darkness. The only sound came from the crickets and the only light from the small sliver of moon shining on the pond in front of them.

"Where are we?" she whispered.

"Where I can be Jack", he said, "and you can be Sam."

"And you couldn't be before?" She continued to speak softly, but without fear. For some reason this place stripped away everything that had been in their way all evening. She suddenly felt a rebirth of hope – here on this mountain road, late at night.

"No – I" He undid his seatbelt and faced her. "I'm sorry – that was – terrible", he said.

"It wasn't your fault", she answered. "It was – both of us. I didn't know what to say or do either."

"No", he laughed softly. "We can defend each other to the death, we can communicate without words when we're light years from home, we can save the universe, but we can't talk over dinner."

"We're talking now", she pointed out. "And I think this is – real."

"I hope so", he sighed. "I thought – I thought that was it, that we weren't going to make it past this evening."

"I know, me too. And I felt -"

"You felt?"

"Awful, devastated, lost."

"Yeah – that pretty much describes it." There was silence in the truck, both of them knowing there was a chance, but not quite sure how to get there. "So, what do we do now?" he finally asked.

"Well, let's promise never go to a French restaurant again."

He laughed softly. "Deal! But what else?"

"Well, let's just try and enjoy each other's company and not worry about anything else for now. We don't have a timeline, we don't have anything to prove. I'd just like to get to know you – the real you – not the Colonel you, or the hero you, or the father you – just -"

"Just Jack?" he grimaced.

"Yeah, just Jack."

"But what if you don't like him?" He decided to lay it all on the table.

She reached out and cupped his face with her hand. "I already do", she answered. "I like him a lot – I just want to get to know him a little better."

"So – no pressure, no timelines – we just – go slow?"

"Yeah, I think that's it. I think tonight both of us felt like we had to prove something. We wanted it to be so perfect that we messed up. I kept imagining myself falling into your arms like something out of Gone With the Wind and life's just not like that. Life and relationships are messy and uncomfortable and uncertain. It's not all about passion and romance."

"It's not?" he said, disappointment thick in his voice.

"Jack!" she laughed.

"Sorry – sorry, couldn't help myself", he grinned. "And I agree. I think – that we both spent so much time fanaticizing that there was no way reality could compete. Although I gotta say – that dress absolutely surpassed any fantasy I've ever had!"

"So, you liked it?" she grinned.

"_Liked_ it? I _loved_ it! Although there's one thing", he said seriously.

"What?" She gazed at him with a worried frown, wondering what was bothering him.

"If we're gonna go slow – you can't wear that thing", he pointed to her dress. "And _definitely_ keep those shoes far back, far, far back in your closet – or else 'slow's' gonna be a word that disappears real fast from my dictionary!"

They spent the rest of the night simply talking. They sat in his truck in the middle of nowhere, listening to the frogs and crickets and watching the stars and shared a little bit of themselves with the other. Not too much mind – for it was still early and they still had lots of time. They knew now not to rush – but to go slow, to savor the joy of discovery of the other. By the time Jack turned the truck back on, and returned to the city, they both decided that this date had been by far the best either of them had ever had.

He dropped Sam off, only giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek as he stood at her door. Yeah, there was time. He smiled and watched as she entered her house Yes – this had been good, but the future was going to be even better.

With a smile Jack got into his truck, started his engine and drove home, just as the sun came up over the horizon. He wanted to be home before the nanny or the children woke up. He also wanted a bit of time to think – and to dream.

* * *

Daniel was going crazy. After Jack had told him that Sam had kissed him, he expected to see them together. Instead, things didn't seem to change at all. He'd tried talking to Jack and got absolutely nothing.

"Daniel, Carter and I are friends, okay? There's nothing else to say."

He'd gone to Sam then, sure that she'd tell him what was going on. She was always easier to talk to and much less secretive than Jack. This time however, he got nothing from her either – nothing, zilch, nada. All she would say is that she respected the Colonel and that they were still friends.

"He explained about the program Daniel – he didn't mean to exclude me at all. It's just that they want me to stay at the SGC." Okay, if that wasn't _quite_ true – surely no one would blame her for the little white lie.

So, Daniel was left wondering – wondering what had gone wrong. He didn't think Jack and Sam were angry or upset at one another, but they clearly weren't together.

"What do you think is going on Teal'c", he'd asked his friend in frustration. "They haven't _done_ anything and they can. Regulations are no longer an issue, so why aren't they together?"

"That is for O'Neill and Major Carter to know", Teal'c answered him. "If they want us to know they will tell us, otherwise we must let them be. Nothing good comes from trying to interfere."

So, Daniel remained frustrated and confused. He watched his two friends closely, when they were together, but there was no change, as far as he could see, in their relationship. Jack still teased her, Sam still rolled her eyes at him. He called her Carter, she called him Sir. Daniel wanted to scream.

* * *

It had been a few months since the start of the Training Institute and things seemed to be going well. Teal'c and Daniel's time was now spent divided between working for Jack and with SG1. They'd kept the team together, and Sam was in charge, but now they were on a lighter rotation. This allowed the men the opportunity to work at the Institute and Sam more opportunity to study the gizmos the teams brought back. In the end, she'd also spent some time working with Jack – but as a consultant, not as an officer under his command.

Life with the kids was going great. Jack was enjoying the role of being a father again and the kids were thriving. Oh, there were the typical issues of parenthood and the children weren't always angels, but for the most part they were great kids and their house was full of lots of laughter and love.

It was thanksgiving and Jack had invited the team over to his house for turkey dinner. Everyone had helped and they had all enjoyed the huge feast and were now relaxing after the big dinner. The kids were playing quietly on the floor while the adults recuperated from their over-indulgence.

"That was good Jack", Daniel said, leaning back and rubbing his too-full stomach. "I don't think I'll be able to eat for a week!"

"You will eat again tomorrow, Daniel Jackson", Teal'c informed him. "And it will most likely be turkey remains."

"Uh, that's left-overs, Teal'c. And yeah, you're probably right."

"Auntie Sam", Ali came over and climbed up into her lap. "I wuv you!"

Sam rearranged the little girl so she was sitting more comfortably and gave her a kiss. "I love you too sweetheart", she told Ali. "Did you have fun today?"

"Mmm hmm", Ali answered enthusiastically. "Da tuwkey was yummy. I hewped Daddy make it!" she told Sam. For some reason, which none of them had as yet figured out, Ali had suddenly started calling Jack 'Daddy' rather than Uncle Jack. He certainly hadn't minded although he'd been worried that the other kids might get upset. They hadn't and recently Chloe had asked if she too could call him that.

Matt still referred to him as Uncle Jack – which he'd told the boy was just fine. He understood Matt's hesitation. He was older and it would be harder for him to think of anyone else as Daddy, other than his real father. When he knew that Jack was okay with that he'd relaxed and everyone was happy.

"Good for you!" Sam kissed Ali again. "It was a _delicious_ turkey and I bet you had something to do with that!" She looked over then at Chloe and Matt who were building something out of lego. Chloe had informed her that it was a turkey, although she couldn't as yet see the resemblance.

"Auntie Sam", Ali said again.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can yus come fow a sweep over?"

"A sleep over? That would be nice Ali, but I'm afraid your bed is too little. There wouldn't be any room for Auntie Sam. Maybe you can come over to my place one night, with Chloe and we can have a girls' sleep-over."

"No – you can sweep wif Daddy. He gots a biiiiiigggg bed and he wikes to cuddow wif you Auntie Sam. He towd us dat!"

Daniel slowly looked up, to see both Jack and Sam frozen, with totally red faces. He wanted to laugh – he'd never seen his friends look quite so – 'caught' before. Uh oh, he thought, out of the mouths of babes!

"So, you like to cuddle with Auntie Sam, do you Jack?" he asked the Colonel. Jack's eyes slowly turned towards him, but he still seemed unable to speak.

"Yeah, he does", piped up Matt. "Auntie Sam comes over on Saturdays and they sit in Uncle Jack's big chair and cuddle" he paused, "and sometimes they kiss – yech!" He went on building with the lego, not seeming to realize the bomb he and his sister had dropped.

"Something you guys want to tell us?" Daniel asked in an innocent tone of voice.

Teal'c too was looking at them sternly, The Eyebrow raised, as if daring them to deny what the kids had said.

Jack sighed and leaned forward in his chair. "I guess we've been found out Carter", he said. "We might as well come clean."

She smiled slightly, kissed Ali, and gently lowered her to the ground. "Why don't you go play with Matt and Chloe", she told the little girl. With a deep breath she turned and faced her friends. "Okay – so yeah, we've been found out. It's not that we were trying to hide anything." At the incredulous look from both her teammates she grimaced. "Okay – so we were trying to hide it – but only for a little while. We didn't want to keep it from you it's just -" she paused, not quite sure what to say.

"Look guys", Jack stepped in. "It wasn't easy for us – moving from a professional relationship to a more" he waved his hands as if not sure what to say – "and we needed some space. We were planning to tell you soon, it's just we needed time to kind of figure things out for ourselves. And we figured if it _didn't_ work out – it would be easier if no one knew we were seeing each other."

"So you _are_ seeing each other – I mean, really?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah – although we've been taking it slowly" the Colonel explained. He wasn't about to tell either of his friends how difficult that was. He felt like he'd taken more cold showers in the last few months than he had since he was 18. "We needed to get to know one another in a new way without -"

"Without your friends interfering" Teal'c said calmly. "I understand O'Neill, Major Carter and I am happy for you. You are well suited."

"Thanks T", Jack grinned.

Sam finally smiled as well, although she looked at Daniel a little worriedly. "Daniel?" she asked. "I'm sorry – we hated not saying anything."

"It's okay Sam", he finally grinned. "I'm really happy for you both and I do understand. I _knew_ something was going on", he said to Teal'c. "Although I admit you were both good – real good. You had us fooled." He narrowed his eyes at his friends – "so, Saturday night kissing and cuddling on the couch? Wow!"

Both Jack and Sam were actually relieved that the truth was finally out. They no longer had to pretend around their friends, although they still kept their relationship private. It was no longer prohibited, but both of them knew it would cause rumors to fly. Eventually it would come out, but by then Jack hoped that it would be old news. With him not working directly with Sam anymore, he figured that most people wouldn't care.

With their friends now in the loop, they both agreed it was time to 'speed things up'. It was time to take things to a more serious level – something they both greeted with relief and not a little fear.

Jack had quietly called Daniel into his office one day to speak with him. After beating round the bush for twenty minutes the younger man finally sat forward and looked at the Colonel with a concerned expression.

"Jack, what is it? I'm sure you didn't call me in here to tell me the latest hockey news. Is something wrong?"

Jack pushed his hand through his hair and looked mildly uncomfortable. "I wanted to ask a favor", he finally said.

Daniel frowned. "Okay, sure. What is it?"

Jack moved in his chair, trying to get more comfortable and began to play with his pen until in defeat it finally snapped in two. That meant, of course that for the next few minutes the two men had to clean up the ink from all over the desk and from on top of some important looking papers.

"Okay, now tell me Jack" he said when the mess had been cleaned up, "what is it you want me to do?"

"Uh – I was wondering if you would mind babysitting the kids", he finally managed to get out.

Daniel stared at him and then shook his head. "That's it? You want me to babysit? Yeah, sure – but why are you so uncomfortable? You've asked me to babysit before."

"Yeah – well, I was wondering if you would watch them for the weekend – next weekend."

"O –kay", the other man replied. Sitting forward on his chair he canted his head. "What's going on? Why are you so worried."

"I'm not worried – not exactly", Jack coughed. "I – uh – Look, I kind of wanted to take Car – Sam – away for the weekend. You know – a romantic weekend and I needed someone to watch the kids for me."

"Okay", Daniel replied easily, sitting back. "Just tell me when and I'll come over. Maybe Teal'c would like to come too. We could take the kids skating, I'm sure they'd like that."

"Oh – okay – uh, thanks Daniel", Jack replied, looking relieved. "I appreciate it."

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so nervous about asking me to watch the kids? I've done it before so it's no big deal."

"Yeah – it's not that Daniel. It's just that _I've_ never done this before."

"Huh?" Daniel peered at him in confusion. "You've left the kids before", he answered.

"It's not the kids I'm talking about. I've never – this is the first time – oh hell Daniel, I _told_ you we were going slowly. This is the first time I'll have, we'll have gone away – I mean, with the kids and everything we've not – you know."

"Oh!" Daniel's eyes grew round. "You mean?" He suddenly grinned and stood up. "Wow Jack – when you said slow, you really meant slow." He walked to the door and opened it. Turning at the last second he spoke again. "Don't worry – we'll look after the kids. You just go and – have fun!" he grinned and left the room.

Jack sat for a second, looking at the closed door. "I will Daniel", his mouth turning up slowly. "Believe me, I will." He bent his head and began signing requisition forms.


	26. Stars

_**Sorry – busy week. A fluffy chapter. A few people wanted some 'spice' with Jack and Sam getting together. As this story is rated 'T' and I want to keep it that way I'm afraid I'm not going there. I may decide to do a 'mature version' which I'll publish separately. (You naughty people you!)**_

His knuckles were white. In fact, he was gripping the steering wheel so hard she wondered if it could break. She'd only just noticed his fierce grip and for some odd reason it made her feel calmer. They had been driving for almost an hour and he'd chatted away, sounding relaxed and as if this whole thing was no big deal. She, on the other hand, had practically shredded the strap of her purse due to nerves.

But she'd suddenly realized, when she'd spied those knuckles, that he _was_ in fact nervous, it was just that he was hiding it really well. She shouldn't have been surprised. He'd had years of perfecting the art of appearing carefree and without a care in the world when confronted by the worst terrors the universe had to offer.

Not, of course, that she would compare herself to a Goa'uld System Lord or a replicator or Senator Kinsey, or anything like that. Still, _she_ found herself more nervous than she'd been the last time they'd been faced with imminent destruction. Jack O'Neill was either very brave or – okay, so he was very brave.

She couldn't help but smile slightly however, when she thought about the moment he'd asked her. They'd been standing in her doorway after spending the evening at dinner and a concert. He always said goodbye at the door – they both knew if she let him in he'd never leave – at least not for a long, long time. And they had promised each other they'd go slow, even though it had been excruciatingly hard. There had been many a night when she'd been oh so tempted to invite him in. She knew there had been an equal number of times when he'd wanted to ask. Still, they'd persevered, both wanting to make sure that they waited until just the right time. They also wanted their first time together to be special – not some quick and frantic joining brought about through overwrought feelings and desires.

Well, Jack had obviously (and finally!) decided the time was right – and she'd almost blown it!

"So", he'd said softly, his lips leaving hers slowly.

"So", she'd repeated, trying to lean forward and continue the kiss.

"I was wondering", he continued, although he stopped talking for long enough to press his lips to hers once again.

She knew it was cold, standing on her porch in early December, but she felt warm – surprisingly warm.

"You were wondering", she murmured, the words floating softly over his slightly open mouth.

"Mmmm", was all he answered, touching her again, playing gently with her lips.

"Jack?" she questioned softly, although she really didn't care that much if he spoke again.

"Mmmm", he shook himself slightly and moved his head back – until it was at least a couple of millimeters away. "I was wondering", kiss, "if you would", kiss, "come away with me next weekend."

"Mmmm", this time she replied, thinking only of his kisses.

He forced himself to pull back slightly and to focus. "Sam?" he asked.

"Mmmm hmmm?"

"Would you? I mean, come with me next weekend? I know this little ski lodge in the mountains and I thought we could go away for a couple of days – maybe ski or hike? It's a lovely little spot."

It took her a moment before his words actually registered. At first what he said didn't mean much – a weekend skiing sounded fun. It was only as she repeated that to herself that it hit her. A _weekend_! Overnight – two nights – together. Did he mean? Could this be it? Did he really want to - ?"

She didn't realize that she'd been staring at him for quite a few seconds, a stunned look on her face. It was only when his face started to freeze and his eyes to shutter that she realized. Crap, he thought she didn't want this.

"Yes", she said. "Yes, it sounds lovely."

"You're sure?" he asked, sounding atypically nervous and unsure – something one didn't hear very often from Jack O'Neill.

"Yes, I'm sure", she smiled.

"_Excellent!"_ He smiled and leaned forward. She promptly forgot everything.

All the rest of the week she'd moved between excitement and panic. It kind of reminded her of the time just before she joined SG1 – a combination of longing – the fulfillment of a dream – and stark terror that things could go horribly wrong.

By now she and Jack were pretty secure in their relationship. They'd dealt with a number of issues, not the least of which was Jack's conviction that he'd somehow screw this up. As time had gone by however, he became more confident that maybe – just maybe – he deserved and was going to get some real happiness out of life.

Still, this was moving to a whole different level in their relationship and she was scared. What if it didn't work? What if their expectations and hopes were just impossible to meet? What if this wasn't what he had in mind at all? Maybe he'd booked two separate rooms. She laughed softly to herself – she was beginning to get ridiculous.

"You okay?" His soft voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts and she turned to him. This time his worried face matched those white knuckles. Yes, he was nervous too – but clearly determined to forge ahead.

"Yeah", she answered softly. "Just a little -" she paused, unable to continue and admit to the truth. There was still that niggling doubt that he meant this to be more than an innocent weekend skiing.

"Nervous?" he finally asked. "Yeah, me too."

The surprise on her face must have been obvious because he gave her that "what did I say wrong" look that he sometimes got. He looked like he wanted to backtrack when she interrupted.

"Really?" she asked. "I'm glad – I thought for a while it was just me." She sighed softly. "It seems so silly", she went on. "We've been dating for months and we've known each other for years – and yet I'm scared." There, if he could be honest, so could she.

He reached out with his right hand and covered hers as it lay on the seat between them. "Look, you know we don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. I can easily turn around. Maybe we're not ready for this."

"No", she started to say, but caught herself when she saw his quick look of dismay. "I meant that no – I don't want to turn back and I _do_ think we're ready – it's just –"

"A step into the unknown", he smiled slightly. "It'll be okay you know. I promise."

"At least I know you don't snore", she said, trying to bring some levity into the discussion.

He looked swiftly at her and then grinned, clearly relieved at the turn in the conversation. "Yeah, but _you_ do", he answered.

"I do not!" she said indignantly, although there was a note of humor in her voice. Yes, Jack was right that humor was a good way of dealing with fear. It's something he'd done for years and he'd taught her well.

"Yes you do. Just ask Daniel and Teal'c. We used to pull straws to see who would have to share a tent with you."

"You are totally lying Jack O'Neill", she answered. "That never happened. In fact, I had it from Teal'c himself that he and Daniel used to fight over which one of them would have to sleep with you after you'd eaten a 'chili surprise' MRE."

"Hey, can I help it if it got to me? And anyway, if you think I was bad – you should have tried bunking with Teal'c after he lost junior. God! I practically passed out the first time and all he would say was that he no longer had a symbiote who could deal with excess 'wind'."

"Really?" she began to laugh. "So _that's_ what that was." When he looked at her quizzically she explained. "P5T 3Y9." When he continued to look blank she explained. "You remember, where we found that minor Goa'uld – P'tah – the one with the big nose?"

"Oh yeah – but what happened?"

"I was sharing a tent with Teal'c and I woke up in the middle of the night to the most foul smell I'd ever experienced. I was sure that the Goa'uld was using chemical warfare and that we were all going to die. It settled down after a few minutes and since nothing happened I'd forgotten it by the morning. So, you're telling me that was a – a -"

"Jaffa fart – yeah."

She giggled, feeling suddenly much more relaxed than she'd been a few moments ago. Their familiar banter had settled her nerves. She could have almost wished for Daniel to be here at this moment – he would have loved the discussion about Teal'c.

Another thirty minutes and they'd arrived at the lodge. Jack had been right – it was quaint and charming and relatively small. It almost looked more like a bed and breakfast than a ski lodge although the stands outside the house with a number of skis propped against them confirmed that that's what it was.

She couldn't help but stop and look at the view. It was one of the most beautiful, picturesque places she'd ever been. The lodge was nestled into the side of the mountain. Directly across from the front was a crystal blue lake, the sunlight glinting down on the water and making it shine like it was made up of millions of tiny diamonds.

"It's beautiful", she said finally, turning to him with eyes that shone even more brightly than the lake. "Thank you for bringing me."

"You're welcome", he answered seriously. His expression suddenly changed and his eyes were dancing – and the eye brows waggling. "You know of course that I expect something for this?"

"And what did you have in mind Sir?" she replied in a playful tone. Yes – humor was good.

He stepped towards her and pulled her in until she was held securely in the circle of his arms. He then bent his head and whispered in her ear –

"I plan to have my evil way with you!"

Her stomach just about dropped to her knees and she was sure her hands were shaking – but she gathered her courage and looked at him. "Good", was all she said.

They then went up to their room and immediately saw the big – huge – humongous – gigantic bed, sitting in the middle of the room, which was a bit trying for both of them. They didn't say much to each other – simply taking turns freshening up in the bathroom and changing into warmer clothes for the outdoors.

As soon as they were ready they headed out, both of them anxious to get away from that bed.

They spent the afternoon on the slopes. They had decided to stick to the the more gentle ones as neither of them had been skiing so far this year – and they didn't want to exhaust themselves.

They returned later in the afternoon slightly chilled, a little tired, and more nervous than ever.

Dinner was good although not great. Oh the food was delicious but both of them were in a heightened state of awareness and anticipation and worry. They picked at the food and the conversation stopped and started until it was finally time for bed – ur their rooms.

Sam sat there thinking that this dinner reminded her of their first date. Oh, it wasn't quite as bad although their conversation was pretty stilted. She kept waiting for it to be over and then they'd have to go to their room and – it all just seemed too – too contrived.

Suddenly Jack got a look in his eye – that look that he got when he'd come to a decision and decided it was full speed ahead, damn the consequences.

"Come on", he said, standing up quickly. He walked around the table and took her hand and pulled her up.

"Where?"

"Just come." He pulled her towards the door, only stopping to sign the bill. He then proceeded to walk quickly up towards their room, still holding on to her.

What was he doing, she wondered? He certainly couldn't be that anxious to consummate their relationship. If he was, he was definitely not being very romantic about it. Maybe he'd decided just to get it over with, kind of like pulling a bandaid off in one quick pull.

After they'd entered their room he went over to the closet and grabbed her jacket and threw it at her. "Put your coat on", he told her, turning and grabbing his own.

"But Jack, it's dark out."

"T'sokay", he said as he wrapped the scarf around his throat. "Dress warmly."

"But where are we going?" she wanted to know, although she followed his lead and put on her warmest clothes.

"You'll see."

Once they were both dressed she had to giggle as they closely resembled the Michelin man. She followed him out of their room and downstairs to the lobby. She still didn't know what he was planning.

He'd grabbed her hand again, although it was a little tricky as they were both wearing thick gloves. It was extremely cold and she could see her breath as they walked down the small trail away from the hotel.

"Jack?" She still couldn't figure out what was going on and was getting a little worried.

"We're almost there", he told her with a quick smile. Suddenly he stopped and it was only then that she looked up.

The lights and sounds from the lodge had disappeared as they'd walked through the trees. They weren't that far away but it was almost as if they were in another world. Strangely it reminded her of going through the Gate – one moment she had been with people, eating in a restaurant, and then next she was in a whole new world.

"Oh" was all she could say. In front of them was the lake, but now it was pitch black with only the light of the moon and stars reflected in its stygian face. But it was the sky that made her freeze in wonder. It was completely clear and filled with stars. She couldn't remember ever seeing a night sky on earth quite like this.

She barely noticed as Jack's arms circled her from behind. She simply leaned back into him and continued to stare in amazement at the view in front of her.

"When I lost Charlie", he said softly into her ear, "I didn't want to live. I went through the Gate and out there", she could feel him nod his head towards the heavens. "By the time I got back I no longer wanted to die, but Sara had gone and I still didn't have much to live for. I retired and I remember not knowing what to do with myself. Then, one night I went outside and looked up – and it was then that I realized." He stopped talking but neither of them moved. She couldn't see him and knew that he needed the dark to continue to share what he was thinking. After a moment he began to speak again.

"I looked up at the stars and it was like I'd never really seen them before. I knew then that Charlie was there, looking at me, watching me and I felt a sense of peace – the first I'd felt since I'd lost him." He paused again and she didn't know how many minutes passed before he spoke again. "I went out and bought a telescope and each night, when I could, I would go out and look through it. I knew that we weren't alone here and for some reason, that gave me hope."

She moved slightly, as if to turn around, but he held her tight, not allowing her to shift her position. She understood that he hadn't finished yet – that he needed this.

"When they recalled me I was ready – ready to go out there again. The stars called to me like nothing I'd ever known. And you know what?" He leaned down and she could feel his lips touching the back of her head. "I found you there."

She turned around then, not allowing him to keep her from facing him. She looked up into his face, only faintly seen in the dim light. His eyes though, were shining with a light she'd rarely seen. He kept looking at her until he finally reached out with a gloved hand and gently touched the side of her face. She leaned into it and they stood there, not moving, not speaking.

"I love you", he said softly, "more than you'll ever know."

"I do know", she responded, equally as softly, "because that's how I feel about you."

He bent his head and kissed her on the cheek. The kiss was not one of passion, but one of friendship and trust and gratitude. She reached up with her hand and touched him. Impatient, unable to feel him she grabbed the glove and removed it and lifted her hand to cup his face.

"Thank you", she said, and the words meant many things. She was thanking him for his friendship, his trust, for always being there for her through all these years and most importantly for his love.

The two of them stayed there for a long time until they began to get cold. "We should go in", he finally said quietly.

She nodded – and realized that she was no longer nervous. Coming out here, seeing the stars and just being together had taken away all the doubts and fears.

"Yes", she finally answered. "It's time." Without any more words they turned and began to walk back to the lodge.

She felt something from him as they were walking and she glanced over, to see him with a wicked looking grin on his face. She stopped. "What are you thinking?" she asked suspiciously.

"That I'm cold and I really want to get warm", he said, a strange sound in his voice.

"Yes?" she asked, still suspicious.

"Well, I was hoping _you'd_ warm me up." He looked at her hopefully.

She returned his look, but showed no expression on her face. Abruptly she turned and started walking.

"Sam?" he called, a little worriedly.

"Well come on then", she answered. "Let's go get you warm."

"Sweet!" He grinned and followed – and the rest of the night belonged to them.

The next morning she woke up and it took her a brief moment to remember where she was.

"Morning", a soft voice said from her side. She rolled over onto her side and there he was – a very pleased look on his face. He was leaning on his arm, just watching her. "Sleep well?"

"No", she answered honestly. "You kept me up most of the night."

"I did, didn't I?" His voice was full of extreme satisfaction. "And was it worth it?"

"Oh yeah, _so_ worth it. In fact, I really wonder now why we waited so long."

He sighed. "Me too. We could have done this months ago."

"Months? I was thinking more like years."

"Years? Yeah - so I guess we have lots of work to do if we're going to make up all that lost time."

"Well then what are you waiting for Colonel?" She squealed as her rolled over and pinned her to the bed.

"Nothing Major – absolutely nothing!"


	27. Thank you Santa Claus

"He's scawy Daddy", Ali clutched onto his legs like she'd never let go. The other two were practically bouncing with excitement but the moment they'd arrived Ali had appeared apprehensive. When they'd finally gotten near the front of the line she'd panicked. He felt badly as she'd been talking about this ever since he'd promised the kids he'd take them to see Santa at the mall.

"It's okay Ali", he told her. "Santa is nice. He likes little children and you can tell him what you'd like for Christmas."

She shook her head fiercely and held on even tighter. He reached down and lifted her up, recognizing that she really was scared. "It's okay baby", he crooned softly in her ear, slowly rubbing her back with his open hand. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You can wait with Daddy while Chloe and Matt go, okay?"

She nodded into his shoulder and after a few minutes lifted her head to watch her brother and sister as they went up and sat in the white haired man's lap. "I doewn wanno gow!" she said again.

"And you don't have to Ali. See, we're waiting right here."

Suddenly the little girl burst into tears. Jack tried to comfort her while keeping his eyes on the others. Oh yeah, this was fun! In many ways this reminded him of early days with SG1 – with him trying to keep order with three people who each wanted to go their own way. Or, he thought again – actually it was only one person who did that – Daniel. Both Teal'c and Sam had been very cooperative. Daniel, however, had been as much trouble as at _least_ three people.

"What is it sweetheart?"He tried to get her to talk but she kept sobbing. When she did begin to speak he couldn't understand a word she said. "Ali, calm down. Why are you so sad?"

The tears slowly stopped but her breath was shaky and little sobs would sound every few seconds as she tried to catch her breath. "Santa no bwing Awee pwesents", she finally managed.

So that's what this was about! He chuckled softly, knowing this was something he could handle. "Ali, of course he'll bring you presents. You don't have to sit on his lap for that. All you have to do is tell Daddy what you want and I'll tell Santa. There are lots of kids who don't get to see Santa but they still get presents." He wondered briefly, like almost all parents before him, if he was doing his children a disservice by perpetuating the myth of Santa. He shrugged – it was pretty harmless he figured – and anyway, he suspected that Matt already knew he wasn't real.

"He's gonna bwing me pwesents?" she hiccupped hopefully.

"Yes, absolutely." He was relieved when he got a smile and she rested her head on his shoulder, seemingly happier now that she'd been reassured.

Following the visit to Santa he and the kids made their way through the mall making sure they had all the Christmas presents they needed to buy for their friends. He was pretty sure the three were more excited about the gifts they were giving than they were about what they were going to get. They were such great kids!

Although, as he made his way through the mall near closing time, Ali in his arms, his right hand holding Chloe's, and Matt walking along side he was definitely not thinking about how great they were.

Everyone was tired, and crabby, and they'd started acting up. Ali had suddenly decided that she did want to see Santa after all. When he told her no, that it was too late and Santa had gone home and she'd have to wait for next year, she'd thrown the mother of all tantrums. He was sure he looked like the world's worst father as he motored through the mall with a tiny little girl who kept begging to 'gow see Santa Daddy'.

To the background of Ali's cries and leg kicking – she'd gotten him good a couple of times, Matt and Chloe had begun sniping at each other. It had ended with tears for Chloe and a big pout for Matt. Jack got quite a few sympathetic looks then from other parents who were dealing with the exact same thing in the Christmas rush. He also got a few glares from people who clearly thought he was a lousy father.

By the time they all got home he was exhausted. Malls always tired him out anyway and then add three over-excited kids and he was ready to collapse. He wished that his teammates weren't off world as he really could have used them. Hell, he could use them right now. He _so_ wanted to relax but instead he had to fix supper and then get everyone bathed and to bed. As much as he adored the children, he realized, at times like these, that being a single parent wasn't easy. He'd even had a fleeting thought about how much he missed the old days! It didn't stay long, and he knew he'd miss them like crazy but hell – he was only human and there were times it was just too much.

The person he most wanted right now was Sam – not just for her help with the kids but because he wanted to be with her. He hadn't seen her since their weekend together as she'd been called in to work on some problem with the Gate immediately on their return. As soon as it had been fixed she'd shipped out with Teal'c and Daniel to some planet that was important for some reason or other. He really didn't care – he just wanted to see her.

They were a day late returning, although Hammond said they'd contacted the base and everything appeared fine. They simply needed a bit more time, they'd said, to negotiate a treaty with the native people. He had been somewhat reassured although knew how easy it was for a mission to go FUBAR at the drop of a hat. On top of that was the worry that the team wouldn't make it back for Christmas. It was in two days time and he'd promised the kids that they'd all be together.

His team – or former team, although he'd never think of them that way – were coming over Christmas Eve and all of them but Janet and Cassie were staying overnight in order to be there for Christmas morning and present opening. Janet and Cassie were spending the day with Janet's family so couldn't say Christmas day. Cassie had complained at that, saying she really didn't want to spend it with a bunch of old people, which earned her a severe dressing down from Janet. Still, they were there for Christmas Eve and he'd promised they'd open Janet and Cassie's presents then.

His thoughts returned to Sam and their weekend together and he couldn't help the silly grin that kept popping out on his face. They'd made a good start at trying to make up for all those years when they'd been nothing but comrades and friends – but he figured they had a ways to go yet. Yup – it was going to take a long, long time to catch up, but he was willing to keep trying.

He'd missed her horribly all week, much more so than he had before their weekend getaway. Somehow, now that they were a couple in all senses, he found it even harder to be away from her. He wanted nothing so much as to have her there before he went to bed each night and when he woke up in the morning. You are turning into such a sap O'Neill, he snorted in disgust.

Damn! He suddenly stopped dead in the middle of his hallway. That's it! That's what he had to do. With another small grin he finished his walk to Matt's room. It was iffy, it was chancy – but nothing ventured nothing gained.

"Why did you make that noise Uncle Jack", Matt asked from his prone position on his bed. It was only then that Jack realized he'd made a sound.

"Oh nothing", he answered. "I just thought of a cliché – and I hate clichés!"

Matt didn't know what Uncle Jack was talking about so after a confused look went back to reading his book. Adults could be weird sometimes.

"Are they here yet?" Chloe asked for the fiftieth time.

"No Chloe, they'll be here soon. It's only 5:30 and I'm sure Auntie Sam had to go and change and so did Auntie Janet and Uncle Teal'c and Uncle Daniel. They were all at work today."

It was only a few minutes later that the doorbell rang and three young voices began squealing. Jack followed the running feet more slowly, although truth to tell, he wanted to run too. He really needed to see Carter.

"Hello young O'Neill's", the deep bass voice said. "Merry Christmas."

"Mewwy Cwismas Uncow Teew'c", Ali squealed louder and Jack was pretty sure Teal'c had picked her up.

Yup – he was swinging her up high and she was giggling uncontrollably. Daniel was there too, with Chloe in his arms and Matt hanging on his legs.

"Merry Christmas Jack", Daniel gave him a quick glance and grinned. "Looks like you have some excited little people here."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You'll never know Daniel", he responded. "Actually, they kind of remind me of going on missions with this young archaeologist I once knew who used to get so excited I was afraid he was going to explode."

Daniel face split into an even wider grin. "What can I say – things to learn, people and places to see -"

"Presents to unwrap!" Jack snorted. "Come on everyone, into the living room. Matt, Chloe, why don't you offer your uncles some punch and Christmas cookies."

"We made them today Uncle Daniel", Matt told him. "There's stars and stockings and reindeer and Christmas trees and we put icing on them and everything."

"I put shiny sprinkles on mine", Chloe told them as they walked to the other room. "Daddy showed us how."

"Jack? Since when do you know how to bake Christmas cookies?"

"Basic training Daniel", Jack replied.

"The Air Force teaches you to bake cookies?"

"Yeah, you didn't think we just learned to fly and shoot guns did you? Sprinkles were a required skill."

Just then the doorbell rang again and Jack made his way back to the door, hoping that this time it was Sam. It was in fact Janet and Cassie and as much as he was glad to see them he felt slightly disappointed. You have it so bad flyboy, he said to himself as he hugged each of the ladies.

The three adults and one teenager sat in the living room as the kids played host and hostesses. They loved serving the adults and kept refilling their glasses with the red cranberry punch and offering the cookies. Jack couldn't help but laugh when he saw how many cookies Teal'c was polishing off.

"You'd better take it easy big guy", he said. "We still have to get through dinner."

"I am fine O'Neill", Teal'c answered, the crumbs falling from the corner of his mouth. "I refrained from eating heavily today."

Daniel let out a rather rude sound although didn't say anything. He'd stopped at two cookies but he'd told the kids he'd have more after dinner. He noticed that Jack had only let them have one each. Man he had this father thing down to a tea. He knew that his friend had experience, but somehow he figured that Jack was pretty much a natural when it came to fatherhood. He wondered briefly if he'd be as good. With his father dying so young, and having been raised in a series of foster homes, Daniel had always worried that his lack of parental influence would mean he wouldn't be a very good father. He smiled slightly when he looked at Jack. There was the best example he could possibly have – and it wasn't just Jack's ability with the three Benton kids – in a way he'd been a father/older brother figure to Daniel for years. Maybe he'd do okay as a father himself. First though, he'd have to find himself a wife.

"So, you guys finally got back. I was worried you were going to miss Christmas. Was it a hard one?" He hadn't heard any details, all he knew was that they'd arrived around three a.m. last night after being delayed over three days. After a quick check in the Infirmary and a short debrief they'd all gone home and crashed. Sam had given him a call to say she'd be here tonight, but hadn't told him much other than she was glad to be back.

"Yes", Teal'c answered curtly. "It was an inhospitable planet."

"The people or the climate or the terrain?" he asked.

"Yes", the big man answered simply. "I do not wish to return."

"God no", Daniel said. "It was – " he stopped and looked at the three children, who were all paying rapt attention. "It was not very nice. The weather was awfully and the people were unfriendly, although we eventually got the treaty signed. I expect it won't last though. I don't think they're exactly trustworthy."

"Sam okay?" he asked casually. No one had said anything but he was a little worried something was wrong. She should have been here by now.

"Yeah, she's fine although tired. She had to deal with their leadership council and they were a pain in the a – ur mitka", Daniel said, glancing again at the children. "I think she was ready to use some C-4 on them."

"Indeed", Teal'c nodded. "By the end she became quite impatient. She responded to them much as you would have O'Neill."

Daniel let out a crack of laughter at that. "I hadn't thought of it that way but you're so right Teal'c. She got really sarcastic with them at the end – exactly like you. Oh God – she's turning into Jack O'Neill!" That caused not only Daniel, but Janet and Cassie to burst into laughter and they suddenly all started comparing ways that Jack and Sam were becoming more and more like each other.

Jack shook his head at his friends' teasing and didn't say anything. He glanced at the kids and saw that they were enjoying the laughter and fun, although he was pretty sure they didn't understand what was going on. He glanced at his watch and frowned. Where was she?

In fact, she was hurrying to get over to Jack's place right at that very moment. She'd been exhausted after a horrible mission and wanted nothing so much as to see him but he'd told her he was working until noon in order to finish up and have some time off over the holidays. Anyway she was tired and needed to spend some time resting and then fixing herself up so she didn't look like something the cat had dragged in. She'd just spent days on a crappy planet, dealing with crappy people – who she'd wanted to shoot – and she figured it was time for a little pampering.

By the time she was finished she realized she was running late and rushed to her car to head to Jack's. She could hardly wait to see him.

As she drove she couldn't help but think of their weekend at the ski lodge. It had been a wonderful three days – full of laughter and spending time outdoors and loving. She just wished she didn't have to go home to her own empty house afterward. She wished – no, it was too early to think of those things.

That reminded her of her conversation this afternoon with her brother. She'd called him to wish him and his family a Merry Christmas and he'd immediately started in on her about why she wasn't coming to see them over the holidays. When she explained that she was spending it with friends she could tell he was hurt. She hadn't yet told her family about Jack, hoping to wait until her father was back.

"Mark", she'd finally said. "Look, one of the people I'm spending time with is – more than a friend – otherwise I would have come home."

There was silence for a few seconds. "Are you seeing someone Sam?" her brother asked, sounding less angry and more curious.

"Yes", she said. "I'm sorry, you know I would have liked to have been there with you guys but -"

"Is it serious?" he interrupted her.

"Yes", she replied again. "It's very serious. I – I love him Mark."

She could hear the sigh all the way from San Diego. "Is it that cop you were dating?" he asked.

Cop? She had to think for a minute until she remembered. Pete – Pete Shanahan, the cop she'd met in Denver. She couldn't believe she'd almost forgotten him.

About a week after their return from Grand Rapids she'd gotten a call from the officer that had been there when she'd been found in the abandoned building. She'd totally forgotten about him although when he called she remembered thinking he was kind of cute. He'd also been nice. After a few minutes of chatting he'd finally gotten around to asking her out.

She hadn't really wanted to go, but lately she'd been thinking about where her life was going – or wasn't going. Career-wise she was fine, but in the personal department – well, that was heading nowhere fast. She knew what – or who – it was who was holding her back and she decided it was time to put an end to that. Of course it was exactly he who was holding her back – he would have felt awful if he thought that. If fact, he'd told her to go out and get a life. Still, she hadn't really wanted to – what she wanted was him. With a sigh she knew that it was time to let go of that dream. He had a new family now and there really was no hope for them.

"Okay", she'd answered Pete, hoping he didn't hear the ambivalence in her voice. She should at least _try_ and date other – no, not other – she should try and date.

They arranged to meet on the next Saturday evening. After she hung up the phone she wondered if she'd just made the best, or worst, decision of her life.

Her brother had phoned a couple of nights later and, as usual, started to give her a hard time about her supposed obsession with the Air Force. "There's more to life than that Sam", he'd said. "Look what it did to Dad. That's the only thing he ever lived for. I don't want that for you. I want you to meet people, date, get married, have kids, a life. If you don't you'll suddenly wake up one morning and it'll be too late. You're not getting any younger you know."

And thank you for _that_ big brother, she'd thought. She loved Mark but sometimes she wished he'd just shut up and let her lead her own life. She let out a huff of breath – she knew he did it because he was concerned about her. "I'm dating someone", she told him.

"Air Force?" he asked cynically.

"No, in fact, he's not. He's a police officer from Denver." So there, she thought.

"Really?" She could almost hear the frown in his voice. "He's a nice guy though?"

"No, I'm dating a real jerk", she said sarcastically.

"Well, you've done it in the past Sam. Remember Jonas Hanson."

Crap, he would have to remember _that_ jerk. "Mark, he's a nice guy, really."

"Why don't you bring him out the next time you come to San Diego?"

Great – from suspicion to practically having them married. "Mark, we just started dating. It's way too early for that."

"Well, just don't leave it too long, you're not -"

"- getting any younger, I know."

In the end she'd gone on one date with Pete – and had immediately decided it couldn't go anywhere. It wasn't that he _wasn't_ a nice guy – he was – it's just she didn't want a nice guy. She wanted Jack! She'd laughed at herself for that one, wishing she could tell Daniel– he'd appreciate it. Still, it had been hard to tell Pete that she didn't want to see him again, but knew it wouldn't be fair to him. He'd been disappointed, but not so much as if she'd seen him a few times and had then called it off.

She came back to the present when she heard her brother repeat the question.

"No, it's not the cop. That didn't work out. I'm seeing – he's in the Air Force Mark, and a great guy. I think you'll like him."

"I should have known", he sighed. "Where'd you meet him?"

"At work. We were on the same team for a number of years, although we only started seeing each other when we were no longer serving together." She hated the thought that she felt like she constantly had to justify their relationship. Still, she didn't want anyone to think they'd been fooling around.

"But he's a good guy?"

"The best Mark", she answered. "Even Dad likes him."

He'd laughed at that. "Well, in that case he must be okay. When you're ready bring him out to see us. And don't worry, I promise not to give him the fifth degree. I'm sure Dad's already done that."

"Well – actually he doesn't know yet", she replied. "He knows Jack, but not that we're dating."

"Oops! Well, good luck Sam. If you survive give me a call."

She'd laughed at that, but couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness. She wondered how her father was going to react. He'd been on a long mission for the Tokra although they'd gotten the occasional reports that he was well. She guessed they'd just have to wait and see.

Just at that moment she arrived at Jack's and thoughts of her phone call with her brother and the possible reaction of her father faded into nothing. All she could think of was that she was going to see Jack.

She rang the doorbell and heard the scurrying of little feet. She couldn't help but grin as she heard Jack's voice telling everyone to slow down. The door opened and there he was, three bouncing kids at his heels.

"Carter", he said calmly, although the look in his eyes contradicted the tone in his voice. "About time you got here. The kids were ready to send out the troops."

"Sorry Sir – I wanted to wish my brother Merry Christmas and it kind of held me up."

"He doing okay?" he opened the door and let her enter, still standing calmly in the entrance way.

"Just fine Sir."

"Auntie Sammie", three voices chimed. She knelt down and gave them all a hug and a kiss and chatted with them as they told her all about baking cookies, and seeing Santa –

"Ays cwied, Auntie Sammie", Ali told her. "An Daddy wone let me see Santa!"

Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes – yeah, now everyone will think he's horrible and refused to let Ali see Santa.

Jack finally stepped in, not wanting poor Carter to be overwhelmed. "Why don't you kids go and get Auntie Sam a drink and a cookie. She'll be right in."

As soon as the kids had gone Jack spoke "Auntie Sammie", he cried softly and held out his arms. With a smile she walked into them and threw her arms around him.

"I missed you", she whispered. "All I could think about was that I wanted to be here, with you, and instead I had to spend time with those idiots on Balerius."

"I wouldn't call Teal'c and Daniel _idiots_", he smirked.

She hit his arm. "I didn't mean _them_. I meant the people on that damned planet. I just wanted to be with you", she repeated.

"Yeah, you're very own idiot!" He lowered his head slowly and their lips touched and they stood there, remembering what this was like, and how much they loved each other, and how much they wanted –

"JACK, SAM", Daniel's voice came at them from the living room. "Enough of that – we want to celebrate Christmas _this_ year. You guys can do that after we eat!"

"Indeed O'Neill, Major Carter. The children are hungry."

They broke apart and smiled at each other. "I guess we're being called. We'll continue this later. And I don't think it's the _children_ who are hungry."

As they walked toward the living room Sam suddenly stopped. Jack swung towards her. "What?"

"You know what I said about Daniel and Teal'c not being idiots?"

"Yeah?" he grinned.

"I was wrong."

They had a wonderful evening, shared with friends and family. They ate and talked and played with the children. They opened the gifts from Cassie and Janet and gave them theirs. Finally, it was time for them to leave and for the kids to go to bed.

Once things had quieted down the four teammates sat and talked – reminiscing about old times and previous adventures. They talked about the kids and the new institute and how the SGC had changed over the years. By the time they all went to bed they were relaxed in a way they rarely experienced. It was good to be together.

Sam bunked down with the girls – who thought it wonderful that Auntie Sammie was sleeping over. Chloe had questioned why she wasn't sharing Uncle Jack's bed. "He has lots of room Auntie Sam", she'd told her. "And he's toasty warm."

Sam could feel herself blush when Daniel raised his eyebrows at her. "That sounds nice", she'd told the little girl. "But I wanted to have a girls' sleep over."

Chloe thought that was good and then suggested that Daniel sleep with Jack. Sam giggled and asked the two men if they wanted to do that. They both looked slightly sick at the suggestion.

"Uh – that's okay. I think I'll keep Teal'c company in the family room Chloe." He leaned over and whispered to the little girl. "He gets scared all by himself."

She looked up at Teal'c, her eyes growing big. She then nodded at Daniel, understanding completely how easy it was to get scared. In the end the sleeping arrangements were fixed and no one else commented.

As Sam lay in her sleeping bag on the air mattress between Ali and Chloe she wondered if she should have simply slept with Jack. No one would have thought anything of it. Still, they hadn't said anything to the kids yet and they'd been a bit worried that Matt especially might start to question things. Jack had said he'd talk to them, but she wasn't sure if he had, as yet.

In fact, Jack had spoken to them but had sworn them to secrecy. He was pretty sure Ali would break, but since she didn't know too much he figured he was okay – because he had a plan and was very afraid it might blow up in his face.

Christmas morning broke early when three little children got up and ran to the tree.

"Santa's been here!" Chloe cried, seeing all the presents and her stocking full. She, along with her brother and sister, ran into Jack's room and bounced on the bed. "Get up Uncle Jack", Matt cried. "Come on and let's open presents."

By the time the adults had had coffee and had sat around the tree the kids were practically bouncing off the walls.

"Matt, you hand out the presents, okay. Chloe and Ali can help you" - so started the round of present giving.

They took turns so that each person got a present before the next one opened his or hers. Jack had let the kids pick out presents for everyone and they couldn't wait to hand them out.

"Here Uncle Teal'c, this is from me", Matt told him. He handed an unevenly wrapped package to Teal'c who took it with a nod and a thank you Matt O'Neill."

It was, of course a hat – a black, scrooge Christmas hat with the words 'Bah Humbug' on them. Teal'c immediately put it on. "I like it very much", he informed the young boy. Based on his expression, he was telling the truth.

Chloe had painted everyone pictures and she'd obviously thought long and hard about what to give each person. The paintings were surprising good for such a young girl and only confirmed to Jack that she was extraordinarily talented.

She'd painted a picture of Teal'c wearing a cowboy hat – one of his favorites – walking with the three children. She'd captured his solemn expression perfectly – but had also made him look warm and caring. Yes, she was talented.

Ali then proceeded to jump on Teal'c's lap, a package in her hand. "I bought dis fow you Uncow Teew'c", she said, handing him the package.

He opened it carefully, only to find a whole big sack of gummy worms. He looked up and raised one eyebrow.

"It was her idea totally Teal'c", Jack held up his hand. "I had nothing to do with it."

Daniel and Sam were snorting with laughter and Teal'c glared at them. "It is a lovely present Miss Ali", he informed her gravely. "I am very fond of -" he held up the package and looked at them, not quite sure what they were.

"Gummy worms Teal'c – they're candy gummy worms", O'Neill explained, trying desperately hard not to laugh. There was just something terribly – ironic in the gift, which Ali really had picked out on her own. "You just bite the heads off and then the rest. The little snakes – ur – worms taste real good."

"Indeed?" He reached in and pulled one out, rather surprised when it stuck to one of its neighbors. He then popped it in his mouth. "Yes, it is good. Thank you again Miss Ali."

More presents were handed out. Chloe painted a picture of Daniel standing beside a pyramid, a mummy at his feet. For Sam she'd drawn a picture of a koala, with the name 'Chloe' at the bottom.

"It's beautiful Chloe", she'd said, admiring it. "And I know just where I'm going to put it."

Chloe then handed her last picture to Jack, who took it carefully and unwrapped it. He stared at it for a long minute, not moving. When Daniel finally asked to see it he lifted his head and the other adults were startled to see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Without a word he held it up and there was a picture of him, with his arm around a woman who was clearly Sam. At his feet were three children, all looking up and smiling. At the bottom she'd written 'The O'Neill's."

"Thank you", he reached forward and gave her a big hug. "I'll treasure this Chloe – it's –wonderful and I love you so much."

Jack gathered himself together then and made a joke – and they continued opening their presents. He hadn't looked at Sam after seeing Ali's present but he couldn't help but wonder what she'd made of it.

Soon, all the presents under the tree had been opened and the kids were happily playing with their new toys. Everyone had smiles on their faces so Jack was pretty sure they'd all gotten what they'd wanted. He had one more present for the kids however so clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, just about done but I have one more for the kids. You're all to wait here and I'll be right back."

It had been difficult to hide this one, although with the help of his neighbor – who he'd gone to see early that morning, he'd been able to pull it off. He went into his bedroom and could hear the noise. He grinned and bent down to pick up what was in the box. He hoped the kids liked their present.

"Okay, this if for all the kids", he announced as he walked out, the squirming little ball of fluff held securely in his hands.

Sam laughed. "A puppy Jack?"

"Hey – you know the rule!" His words were interrupted by sounds of intense joy and excitement as three children rushed over.

"A puppy!" Matt cried, reaching out for the tiny little fluffy, wriggling dog. He gently touched it and began to pet it, as it wiggled even more.

"Alright everyone", Jack said firmly. "You have to be very careful and very gentle with puppies. You can each sit down and I'll let you hold him. Remember, there's no fighting over the puppy and you have to be careful. Anyone who disobeys will get a time out and won't be able to play with him."

That immediately calmed them down – the children at least, not the dog. His little tail was wagging fiercely and his little pink tongue kept trying to lick anything and everything. Ali giggled when his tongue found her hand and she held it there while he licked away.

They all played with the puppy until Jack said that was enough. "He needs a nap now", he informed them, "so I'm going to put him back in his box. He can stay in here as long as you don't bother him."

The dog fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted with all the excitement. Jack smiled when he saw the expressions of his children. They were in love with the puppy.

"What shall we name him Sir?" Matt asked.

"Whatever you want Matt. He's waiting for you guys to give him a name." Well, that of course took up the next little while as the children argued over the names. After going through names from Rover to snowball to fluffy – it was Jack who finally came up with a name they all agreed upon.

"So", he said, picking up the tiny puppy, "welcome to the family Thor."

"This was great Jack", Daniel was lying back on the couch, looking like he wasn't about to move within this century. "There's nothing like Christmas with kids, is there?"

"No." Jack looked around the room. "Or with good friends. Thank you Daniel."

"Me? What for?" the other man looked surprised.

"For being there for me, for making me want to live. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have this", he gestured around the room.

"You're welcome Jack", he answered softly. "And I can say the same to you. We've come a long way, and it hasn't always been good, but at least we've always had each other."

Jack nodded and smiled. Just then Sam looked up from where she was playing on the floor with the kids. She gave him a quizzical look, seeming to sense that he and Daniel were being serious for a change. With her look Jack finally decided. He hadn't been sure but – heck – why not?

"Uh, I have one more present", he announced to the room. "I didn't – well, I wasn't sure – but I think -" he grimaced and reached into his pocket. "Here Sam, this is for you." He held out a small package, wrapped gaily in bright red paper. "It's from me – and the kids too – although mostly from me."

She tilted her head to look at him, wondering what this was. He looked strangely nervous. She bent her head and slowly began to unwrap the package. When the paper fell away she found herself looking at a small black box. Her lungs stopped functioning and she brought her head up abruptly, and peered at the man she loved. What was this?

With shaking hands she opened the box, to find a solitaire diamond ring inside. She just stared at it, trying to process what it meant. Why was he giving this to her? Her brain felt like all the cells were frozen and she couldn't think. There was dead silence in the room.

Jack could feel his heart beating somewhere around his ankles. Damn – had he made a mistake? Maybe he shouldn't have done it. Maybe she didn't want to get married. Crap – he should have known better.

"We want you to be our Mommy." Chloe's voice broke the frozen moment. "Matt and me and Ali – we talked with Uncle Jack and he told us he loved you and asked us if we'd like you to come and live with us and we want you to. Please Auntie Sammie. Will you marry Uncle Jack and live with us?" Both Matt and Ali were nodding as their sister spoke.

Jack stopped breathing, wondering what Sam would think. He hadn't asked the children to say anything and he hoped she didn't think he was trying to manipulate her. He _had_ told them about Sam and how he felt – he didn't want to spring anything new on them. Their subsequent cheers and happiness had shown him that as far as they were concerned, marrying Sam was the right thing to do.

"There's nothing I'd like more", Sam replied to the little girl.

Jack kept waiting for the 'but' – but it didn't come. He finally gathered his courage enough to lift his head, to see Sam looking at him with tears coursing down her cheeks, and a huge smile on her face. "There's nothing I'd like more than to marry your Daddy, and come and live with you all", she said again, quietly but clearly.

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"Really", she replied.

Finally believing it, Jack reached out and touched her cheek. He then drew her in close. "Thank you", he breathed, and kissed her.

Neither of them heard the cacophony of sound, with three children yelling their delight, Teal'c and Daniel laughing theirs, and Thor barking in the background.

"Marry me", Jack finally asked out loud, the background noise forgotten.

"Yes", she said simply. With a smile they then sat back and looked at their family.

"You sure you know what you're getting into", he asked with a grin. "We're a package deal" – and he included the three children, Daniel and Teal'c in that comment.

"But _what_ a package", she answered. It was only as he lifted his eyebrows that she realized what she'd said. She blushed slightly. "I meant – the kids", she tried to explain. After a short pause she continued "but the other package is pretty nice too."

He grinned and sat back, watching as Sam got hugs and congratulations from everyone. Sitting back quietly he glanced up. "Thanks Santa."


	28. The Big Meanie

_**I know it's confusing for everyone when (or if!) I'll ever end this story. I've decided I have one or two more chapters and will let everyone know when it is finally over. In the meantime, this is a very short chapter – because we had to bring poor Jacob in somehow!**_

"Do we have an IDC yet Lieutenant?" Colonel Reynolds asked the man at the Gate computer.

"Uh – not yet Sir", he answered, watching the screen as the Gate down below lit up. "It's – it's the Tokra Sir", told the Colonel, as soon as he saw the identification code.

"Open the iris", Reynolds sighed. He prayed this wasn't bad news, although when the Tokra called it usually was. He had about as much liking for them as O'Neill.

The wormhole engaged, shooting out itss electric blue wave into the Gate room. Once it had settled back there was a short delay and then a lone figure walked out onto the metal ramp.

Lieutenant Mackee felt rather than saw the Colonel relax. He glanced up at the man presently in charge of the SGC. "Do you know him Sir?" he asked. He'd only been stationed here for six months and didn't as yet know all their allies.

"Yup", Reynolds answered, heading for the stairs leading to the Gate room. "That's Jacob Carter and Selmak."

He moved quickly enough so that he met Jacob just as the man/Tokra reached the bottom of the ramp.  
"Jacob, welcome. Long time no see!"

"Colonel" he acknowledged the other man with a small smile. "It's been a crazy few months and this is the first time I've had a chance to make it earth side." His eyes took in the room but no one else seemed to be coming. "Uh – everything okay here?"

"Yeah, things are fine. Hammond's off today so I'm officer in charge. Is there anything I can help with or do you need to speak with the General?"

"No, no. I'm actually here on a social call not on any official business. I told the Council that if I didn't get some time off to come and see my kids I might just up and quit!"

"You can do that Sir?", Reynolds asked quizzically.

"Probably not, but don't tell them that. And whatever you do, don't tell Selmak!"

"Okay", Reynolds laughed. "I'll make sure to keep it from him ur her ur Selmak."

"So, where's SG1?" Jacob finally asked sounding slightly worried, although he was pretty sure Reynolds would have said something if they weren't all okay.

"They're off today Sir. Everyone is over at O'Neill's for a barbeque. Dr. Frasier and Hammond are there too. Would you like me to contact them and tell them you're here?"

"No, I'll just head on over and surprise them. It'll be nice to see them all and a barbeque sounds great. Jack always makes great steaks so I hope he has enough for me. It's been forever since I've had a piece of good American beef. I know Selmak", he suddenly spoke. "But one steak isn't going to hurt me – and you can fix me anyway." He grimaced. "Selmak doesn't like me to eat red meat."

Reynolds raised his eyebrow, not quite sure how to answer that. He still found it rather creepy that the man in front of him shared his body with a snake. "Uh – I'm sure Jack will have plenty of snake – I mean steak." This time _he_ grimaced and sent an apologetic look towards Jacob, who simply smirked. "I'm afraid you do have to get checked out first though Sir."

"I know Colonel. After I'm done could I bother you for a driver to take me to O'Neill's?"

As Reynolds headed back to his office he shook his head, wondering how Jacob was going to react when he made it to O'Neill's house. He was pretty sure the man didn't know yet about his daughter and Jack – and he really wished he could be a fly on the wall. He'd debated telling him, but then decided it wasn't his place. Besides which – he really didn't want to be the messenger who got shot. "Good luck Jack", he muttered as he picked up the phone to arrange a car.

Jacob was whistling on his way to O'Neill's. He was really looking forward to seeing Sam and then Mark – neither of whom he'd seen for almost a year. He'd sent a few messages through to let Sam know he was okay and he was sure she would have relayed that to Mark, even if she couldn't tell him the truth about where he was.

He thanked the driver once they arrived at Jack's. He could hear some noise from the backyard, so instead of knocking on the front door he made his way around the side. It was a gorgeous day, and warm for so early in the spring. He could understand why they'd decided to hold a barbeque.

"Oooph!" The air exploded from his lungs as a small body barreled into him. "What the - ?"

"I'm sorry Sir", a young, scared voice spoke from waist height. "I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

Jacob looked down into a pair of innocent brown eyes. A young boy of seven or eight stood watching him nervously. "I'm fine, just wasn't expecting to run into an elephant in Colonel O'Neill's yard!"

"I'm really sorry", the boy said again, although he grinned slightly at the elephant reference.

Jacob reached out a hand and ruffled the boy's hair. "That's okay – just an accident. Do you know where Colonel O'Neill is?"

The boy grinned and nodded. "He's around back." He leaned forward and whispered. "Uncle George says he's torturing the steaks!"

Jacob laughed and watched as the boy waved and then kept running. He must be a relative of George Hammond, he realized – maybe a young cousin of George's granddaughters. He continued to walk around the side until he came to the back of the house. There were a number of people around but he didn't see Sam – or Jack for that matter. He did see a number of young children though and he wondered if they all belonged to George.

Just then he saw his daughter, walking out the patio door, a tray of something in her hands. He was about to call out to her when he saw O'Neill come up behind her. The next thing Jacob knew the man's arms come around his daughter and pulled her back towards him. He then bent and kissed her neck.

"What the hell!" he whispered. He began to move towards the back deck, where Sam was standing, O'Neill draped all over her, when his daughter turned and kissed her commanding officer directly, and very passionately, on the lips.

"Samantha Carter", he yelled as he moved towards her. There was an instant cessation of all noise and everyone froze. If anyone had come by at that precise moment they would have thought they'd walked into a science fiction novel. "What the _hell_ are you doing?" By this time he'd reached the small deck and he climbed the stairs three at a time and grabbed Sam's arm. Pulling her fiercely away he continued to glare at O'Neill.

"I always knew you could be a son of a bitch", he told the surprised looking man, "but I thought you respected Sam enough to keep your hands off of her!" He then swung to peer at his stunned looking daughter. "And _you_ Sam – I thought better of you. What are you doing, and right in front of the General. Have you gone mad?"

A sharp foot suddenly connected with his shin. Although not enough to do any damage it hurt and he pulled his leg back. Now what was happening?

"You's stay away fwom my Daddy and Auntie Sammie you bad man!"

Jacob looked down – way down – to see a tiny little girl with big blue eyes and long curly hair looking at him with a fierce scowl on her face. She hauled back her leg a second time but he was smart enough to move away.

"Don't you hurt Auntie Sammie", another voice spoke to him from behind. He swiveled only to see another girl, this one a bit bigger but looking equally as ferocious.

"Dad", Sam said softly. "You don't understand -"

"What don't I understand Sammy?" he interrupted. "I come over here and suddenly see you two all over each other and no one seems to have a problem with it."

"Go AWAY bad man", Ali cried, the tears beginning.

Just then Jack snapped out of his stupor. "Uh Jake – I think we should take this inside", he said calmly, aware that the children were upset.

"Daddy?" Ali began to cry.

Jacob watched as the little girl looked at Jack with big sad eyes and lifted her arms. Jack picked her up and tried to calm her down while Sam knelt and talked softly to the other little girl. His forehead crinkled in confusion. What the hell was going on?

"Daddy, he's mean", the little one said, peeking out at Jacob. "I don like him!"

_Daddy?_ Jacob was thoroughly confused by now and wanted to find out what was going on when his daughter glared at him.

"Dad, we'll take this inside. You're frightening the children."

Jacob realized it was true and sighed and rubbed his head. "Okay fine, let's go inside."

"NO! You stay away from my Daddy." The bigger of the two girls turned on him and looked ready to do battle. Whoever these kids were they were ready to defend Jack with all they had in them.

"Jacob, hello." George Hammond's voice broke the bizarre tableau and he turned to him in relief. George was holding out his hand and he shook it gratefully. "I think you'd better talk to Jack and Sam and they'll explain everything. There's nothing going on here to worry you Jacob – just listen to them."

He could feel himself start to relax slightly, although he was still confused. Looking down at the two - no, three kids - the young boy from before had appeared and was leaning protectively against Jack's legs – he spoke to them. "I'm not going to hurt anybody", he said calmly.

"It's okay kids", Jack told them. "Jacob was just teasing, _weren't you Jacob?" _This time he glared at the older man. "He's a friend of mine and would never hurt me."

"I don like him Daddy", Ali repeated. "Hees a meanie!"

"No, he's really not Ali. In fact, I know you're going to really like him when you get to know him. Look kids, Cassie is over there filling up some water balloons and I'm sure she needs some help. I'm going to get Jacob a drink and then we're going to talk. He really won't hurt me, I promise." Jack watched as the kids began to calm down when the new mean man didn't say or do anything more. Finally Cassie came over with a couple of balloons and asked them if they wanted to toss them at Uncle Daniel and Uncle Teal'c. With a nod and some squeals they took off after the two adults - secure now that their Daddy was going to be okay.

With a nod of thanks to Hammond, Jack led Sam and Jacob back into the house for a discussion. He wasn't looking forward to this and was sorry it had happened this way. Still, he knew it had to be a relief for Sam to know her father was okay.

"So, will someone please tell me what's going on?" Jacob refused to sit, instead he stood with his hands on his hips and his eyes glaring. He was going to get to the bottom of this if it killed him – or killed O'Neill, which sounded vastly preferable.

"We will Jacob, if you'll actually listen rather than jumping to conclusions." Jack had no time for this and looked at his future father-in-law seriously.

"So?" Jacob asked, looking back and forth between his daughter and her commanding officer – who had been _kissing her in public_.

"So, the first thing I think we need to tell you is that Sam and I are no longer in the same chain of command. I'm not with SG1 anymore and haven't been since September."

"What?" Jacob leaned forward. "I hadn't heard that. What happened? Why aren't you with SG1 anymore? Did something go wrong?" He swiveled his head back and forth, waiting to hear what could have possibly taken Jack away from one of the most important things in his life.

"No – not wrong", Jack smiled slightly. "At least not for me. Last summer", he began to explain, "I got a call from a lawyer in Michigan, telling me that my cousin and her husband had been killed. It turned out I was the closest living relative and as such was in line to take guardianship of their three orphaned children."

"The kids that were outside!" Jacob exclaimed. "Those are your cousins?"

"Well yes, although legally they're now my children – I adopted them", he explained. "I knew that with three young children to look after I couldn't stay with SG1 and keep putting myself in danger. They'd already lost one set of parents, I really didn't want them losing the only other parent they now had."

Jacob nodded, understanding O'Neill's position – and also realizing how difficult it must have been for him to quite his team. "So, what happened?" he asked, still suspicious of what he'd seen between his daughter and this man.

"Well, I ended up getting chosen to lead the new training institute." When Jacob looked blank he explained all about it. "So you see", he finished by saying, "I'm not in Sam's chain of command anymore."

"So – but you're still in the military and you're still a Colonel while she's a Major. It doesn't look very good and I'm sure it will start all sorts of rumors. Do you really want that for my daughter Jack? You know she has a great career in front of her – hell, she could make General one day – and this" he waved his arm attempting to say without words what he meant –"this could totally screw that up."

"Isn't that up to me Dad?" Sam answered softly. "And anyway, this", she gestured between them, "hasn't screwed anything up."

"Sam – come on – you know what the military is like. Everyone is going to say you're having an affair."

"No they're not, they're going to say we're engaged and are going to get married. I don't think that's so bad, do you Dad?"

Jacob looked at her and then his eyes swiveled towards Jack. "What?"

"We're engaged Jake", Jack said calmly, eying the other man carefully. "We've been seeing each other for months and got engaged at Christmas. We were hoping you would get back in time for the wedding."

"Wedding?" the former general asked, bemused by the whole turn of events.

"Yes Dad – wedding. We're engaged, that is generally followed up by marriage which usually starts with a wedding."

"But – you and O'Neill?" he asked, looking at his daughter. "I didn't even know you _liked_ him."

"_Dad!_" she said, sounding shocked and upset. "Of course I liked him – you knew that. We've been friends for years and it – turned into love for each other."

"Sam, he was your CO. You weren't supposed to fall in love with him."

"Come on Jacob – you were there for the zatarc testing. You _knew_ we felt something for each other years ago." Jack looked at the older man impatiently, knowing how hard this whole thing was on Sam.

"Yeah – I knew there was something there but I thought – I mean, I didn't think it was anything serious. It's normal to have – a crush – on your senior officer." He looked at Jack. "But I thought I could trust you not to let it go any further."

"And it didn't Jacob – not until after we weren't serving together any more. We never did _anything_ inappropriate while we were serving together" (okay, Jack thought to himself, that was pretty much the truth – barring a couple of 'close' episodes). "We played by the rules, did what we were supposed to – gave up everything for duty, honor and Uncle Sam – and now we've decided to enjoy our lives _together_. We've done nothing wrong – are _doing_ nothing wrong – and if you can't accept that, well that's too bad for you, because we are together and are planning on staying that way."

"Sam?" Jacob looked at his daughter. "Do you really - "

"Yes Dad", she interrupted. "I _really_ love Jack and plan on spending the rest of my life with him." She walked over and put her arms around her fiancé. "I'd really rather that you gave us your blessing, but I don't have to have it. We're getting married regardless."

"And the children?" he asked desperately. This was so not what he'd expected from his daughter and he didn't know what to do. "Do you want to be saddled with three children who aren't your own?"

Sam clenched her jaw shut in order to keep from saying something she'd regret. Her eyes flashed and for a moment Jacob wondered if his daughter had become Tokra. "Saddled?" she asked angrily. "I love those children as much as if I gave birth to them. I can't think of anything I want more in this life than to be their mother – except perhaps to be Jack's wife. We're a package deal Dad – we're a family and we'd love you to be part of it, but if not, it's your loss."

The two Carters stood glaring at each other and Jack just stood quietly, knowing enough not to get in between, at least not yet. He gave them each a moment to think about things and then he spoke. "Jake, I know I'm not your idea of the perfect son-in-law", he laughed somewhat bitterly, "Hell, I'm not anyone's idea of a great son-in-law, but know this, I love your daughter more than my life and I have for years – even though we _didn't_ do anything. I will spend the rest of my life making sure she doesn't regret this and that she'll be happy. Don't blame us for falling in love, Jake. We've both lost enough and seen enough – don't you think we deserve a little happiness together?"

Jacob didn't know what to do. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore Selmak who was telling him not to be such an ass but to embrace his daughter and accept her decision. But _Jack_? It's not like he didn't like and respect the guy – but he had enough baggage to sink a ship. He didn't want that baggage weighing down his daughter.

_But what can you do but accept it Jacob, _Selmak's voice told him_. You can love her and abide by her decision – or you can hold on to your anger and lose her. O'Neill is a good man – do you not believe him when he says he will do everything in his power to make her happy? You know he would die for her. Has he not proven himself worthy many times over?_

"But –"

_But what Jacob?_ Selmak continued. _Is it really O'Neill who worries you, or is it that you are more concerned about your daughter's career than her life?_

"No!" Jacob said loudly. The two people with him looked at him in surprise. "Just talking to Selmak", he explained. "She's telling me I'm an ass and that I should just tell you I'm happy for you."

Sam looked at him hopefully but didn't say a word, knowing her father had to come to the decision by himself. She felt Jack's arm press into her briefly, trying to give her encouragement. She touched his hand in thanks but didn't make any other move, waiting to see what her father would do.

Jacob sighed heavily. "Look, I know it's not up to me and you're not going to listen to anything I have to say so I won't try. I can't tell you that I'm happy, because I'm not. I think this is a mistake but there's nothing I can do so I guess I'll just have to live with it. I'm going to go out and talk with Hammond now because I don't know what to say to either of you. I'm just sorry it came to this." With a small shake of his head he then turned and strode out of the room.

"Oh Jack." Sam's voice broke. Jack immediately pulled her into him so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay Sam, don't worry. It's going to take him some time – it's been a shock for him – but he loves you and he'll come around."

"You think so?"

"I know so!" he said confidently, although inside he wasn't feeling quite so confident. "Any anyway, Selmak is on our side and he - or she will convince him."

Sam took a shaky breath and stood back, wiping her eyes so as to remove any trace of tears. "And if not, we'll send Ali and Chloe after him and have _them_ kick his butt!"

Jack laughed and hugged her again. "That we will. I never knew those two were quite so protective. It seems like we've gained some serious champions."

"It's because they love you Jack."

"And you Sam."

"Yeah", she finally smiled. "And we love them – and that's really all that's important – so screw my father! We'll just go and be happy in spite of him!"

"That's my girl", he kissed her gently on the forehead and then took her hand and led her out to the yard where their friends were all waiting.


	29. Burnt Steak

_**Couldn't leave things bad between Jacob and the others …. Also – one of my wonderful reviewers asked to see a bit more between Matt and Sam – and I realized I hadn't shown them together too often – so here you go. **_

_**This is a short one, but I may post another today if you're really good.**_

Jacob left the house and walked into the backyard, unsure what emotion was foremost in his mind. He felt a combination of anger, frustration, disappointment and guilt. He snorted softly – if Selmak had her way he would mostly be feeling the guilt.

_You were foolish Jacob, _she told him._ Do you really want to risk losing your daughter? You surely know that she will not give up O'Neill. They have been in love for a long time and are old enough to know their own minds."_

"Yeah, but what about her career?"

_What about it? Do you not think that the Air Force knows how important she is and how capable. And O'Neill will not do anything to harm her chances – he only wants the best for her._

"Okay – but it's _Jack O'Neill_!"

_Your point being?_

"I don't know." If he'd had hair he would have rubbed his hands through it. "It just – he's seen so much, been through so much. I just – I don't want Sam to be hurt."

_And nor does he. Jacob, Samantha is not some young innocent girl. She too has been through much in her life and there is no one who better understands that than O'Neill. Do you truly believe she would be happy with someone who can never know about Jolinar, or understand what it is to die and return to life – who has never seen the best, or the worst the universe has to offer? Do you expect her to marry some man who has never travelled beyond the confines of earth and does not know the wonders that are out there? O'Neill knows these things – knows what she has gone through and has been there for much of it and for her always. He understands Samantha better and loves her more than anyone here on this planet or on any other. Trust them Jacob – trust them to know what's best for them and rejoice with them._

"Why don't you like my Daddy?" a soft voice interrupted his conversation with his 'other half'. "Huh?" he looked down at the older of the two girls who had defended Jack and Sam.

"Why don't you like my Daddy?" she said again, sounding very serious.

"Uh – I do like your Daddy sweetheart", he told her. Feeling like he was towering over her he sat down on the wooden steps so he was more at her eye level. She didn't move, although she looked slightly nervous. "I've known your Daddy for a long time and we are – friends", he almost couldn't get that word out, which instantly sent a stab of guilt through him. "Yes", he said more firmly, more to himself than to the girl, "we are friends."

"Then why don't you want him to marry Auntie Sammie? We all love her and Daddy says she's the best thing in the world – even better than cake and the Simpsons."

He had to chuckle at that – only Jack O'Neill would use such a comparison. "Better than cake eh?"

"Mmm hmm", she nodded, "And he _loves_ cake. He also loves me and Ali and Matt. We're his kids now – he 'dopted us so we're O'Neills – and we're Bentons too cause that was the name of my Mommy and Daddy."

"And what's your first name", he said gently. He could tell she was close to tears and felt badly for the loss of her parents.

"Chloe", she said. "I'm in the middle. Matt is eight and Ali is three. I'm six and I'm in first grade."

"First grade? Wow, you're big. Do you like school?"

She shrugged but started to look a little less like she was going to burst into tears or run away. "I guess", she said. "Miss Connor lets me draw pictures and we can paint."

"That sounds like lots of fun. My Sammie liked to draw when she was little."

"Are you her Daddy?" she asked curiously.

"Yes – Sam is _my _little girl." Jacob could feel himself relax the more he talked to Chloe. She was a quiet little thing but there was a sweetness about her that reminded him of Sam.

"She's not little", she grinned. "She's tall – like Daddy."

"Yes, she grew up to be a big girl, but she was little once and I used to carry her around on my shoulders."

"Really?" Her eyes grew big as she tried to imagine Auntie Sammie ever being carried around like that. Suddenly her eyes grew misty again. "Her Mommy died too", she said softly. "She told me she still remembers her Mommy and misses her."

Jacob swallowed convulsively. God! "Yes, she loved her Mommy very much. They used to do all sorts of things together. Sam looks just like her."

Chloe took a step closer to the man who was Auntie Sammie's Daddy. "She said she'd be my new Mommy when she and Daddy got married and we'd do girl things together. She helps me braid my hair, just like my first Mommy did. She told me that my Mommy who's in heaven asked her to look after me. Please let her marry Daddy! I love her and I don't want her to go away." A single tear rolled down her cheek and Jacob could feel his heart start to splinter.

Ah damn! He suddenly wondered if Jack had sent this little sprite out to talk to him. If he did he was the most underhanded, sneaky, devious devil alive. How in _hell_ was he supposed to resist this?

_Why do you want to resist Jacob? _Selmak was there again, driving him crazy. _It is very clear that Samantha loves these children and they love her. Do you want to deny her that? Do you want to deny them the chance of a mother's love?_

That was it. He had a devious Colonel, a sneaky snake and a brown eyed, adorable six year old all conspiring against him. He sighed, knowing when it was time to give up. "I won't take her away sweetheart", he said softly, giving her a smile. "I was just a little surprised, because I'd been away so long. I'm happy my Sam is marrying your Daddy. I know they love each other and you very much."

"And you won't be mean anymore?" she demanded, frowning at him.

"No, I won't be mean anymore."

_Hah! _Selmak spoke derisively in his head. _I'll believe that when –_

"Selmak!"

The snake in his head sighed. _That is good Jacob. You now owe your daughter and O'Neill an apology._

"Yeah okay", he answered silently. "But give me a few minutes. It'll be good for Jack to stew a bit. I don't want him to get too complacent around me. Need to keep him on his toes!"

_Jacob Carter – you are an evil man!_

Jacob grinned and looked again at Chloe, who had her head tilted to one side and was looking at him curiously. He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Come on, why don't you introduce me to your brother and sister. You are going to be my grandkids now you know."

She stopped dead and looked at him with wonder in her eyes. "You're my Grandpa?"

"Yup – or I will be when Sam and your Daddy get married. So let's go – we need to get to know each other better cause grandfathers are required to spoil their grandkids!"

With a grin Chloe took his hand and then proceeded to dragher new grandfather around to the others, her face showing only happiness.

"You okay?" Jack asked Sam a few moments after her father had left. He was still angry at Jacob but didn't want to upset Sam any more than he had to. Maybe Hammond could talk some sense into the man.

"I'm fine Jack", she said. "You go out and deal with our guests. I'm going to get a glass of water and take a moment to calm down."

"You sure?"

"Yeah", she smiled. "Just go and don't worry about me. I just need a moment. Oh, and if Dad gives you any trouble just call Ali over."

He grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "Will do. I really think we ought to consider her our secret weapon. She could kick the shins of all our enemies."

Sam gave him a smile although it quickly faded as soon as he left. She was standing alone in the kitchen, listening to the noise from outside but thinking about her father. She'd almost lost him before – once because of his ambition and lack of understanding and once because of the cancer that had attacked him. Then he'd gotten Selmak and she'd found her father again. Their relationship for the last few years had been close – in fact closer to him than she'd ever been in her life. Now it looked like she may lose him again – and all because of that damned ambition of his. Not for himself – but for her. Damn, damn, damn. Why did he have to be so bloody –

"Are you okay Sammie?"

She jumped at the sound of Matt's voice right beside her. She hadn't heard the little boy enter the kitchen. "I'm fine Matt", she smiled. "Just thinking."

"About that man? Chloe said he was mean."

"Uh yes. That man is my father", she explained. She almost laughed at his shocked expression. Based on what she'd heard of his real father and then knowing what kind of Dad Jack was, she was pretty sure Matt couldn't quite harmonize the idea of 'father' and her dad.

"Really? Is he mad at you?"

"No, I think he was just surprised Matt. He didn't know that I was going to marry Uncle Jack."

"He doesn't like him, does he?" he asked, sounding terribly worried. "Chloe said he's going to take you away."

"What? No – no!" She knelt down beside the little boy. "He likes Jack, he likes him a lot." She prayed that was true although after the last few minutes she wasn't as sure. "As I said, he was just surprised. He's not taking me away."

"What if he tells you you can't get married?"

Poor Matt – all he knew of fathers was they had to be obeyed. "Matt, I love my Daddy a lot – and when I was little I had to obey him" – not that she always did, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "But now that I'm an adult, I don't have to do what he says. I love Uncle Jack a lot and he loves me. I also love you and your sisters and we _are_ getting married, so you don't need to worry."

Matt nodded slowly, wanting desperately to believe her. "But what if he makes you – what if he makes you go away?"

"He can't sweetheart. I wouldn't let him and neither would Uncle Jack – and you know when _he_ decides something …!"

He nodded and grinned slightly. "Uh huh. Uncle Teal'c says there's no moving Daddy when he makes up his mind." He frowned again. "He won't hit him will he?"

"Who – you mean your Uncle Jack - no, he won't hit my father." She leaned close and whispered in his ear – "he'll probably burn his steak though!"

Matt giggled and nodded, loving the idea of his father giving the scary man a burnt piece of meat. His expression then turned sober. "I won't let him take you away Sammie. I love you and I want you to stay and I'll tell him that! Ali and Chloe and I voted and we want you for our new Mommy."

She felt her throat tighten and knew she could easily lose it at any moment. She reached out and pulled the little boy into a fierce hug. "And I love you and I'm going to be your new Mommy and _no one_ will stop me, I promise. And if my Daddy tries to I'll – I'll tell him to -"

" – go jump in a Goa'uld infested lake?"

Sam brought her head up and looked at her father. Giving Matt another hug, and an encouraging smile, she slowly stood up. She was touched when the boy moved so that he standing in front of her as if to protect her. She put her hands on his shoulders. It was only then, as she looked clearly at her father, that she saw _his_ hands were being held by Chloe on one side and Ali on the other. She frowned in confusion. "Dad?"

"Yeah Sam. I'd like to introduce you to my newest granddaughters", he said, to the accompanying giggles of the two girls. "They've been showing me around and telling me all the things a grandfather is supposed to do. They also introduced me to Thor - and to uh – Bra'tac."

Sam wondered if she'd suddenly walked through a quantum mirror without noticing and was now in another universe. "Bra'tac?" she muttered, wondering what the heck was going on.

"Yeah – you know Sammie – our new turtle. Daddy named him", Chloe told her.

"Oh – right."

"Sammie, Sammie, Sammie", he father shook his head. "How can you forget Bra'tac?" Jacob had noticed the small boy standing protectively in front of his daughter and recognized him as the boy he'd first met. "So, you must be Matt", he said conversationally. "I understand you're eight years old and the head of this terrible trio of trouble!"

The girls giggled again and Sam could feel Matt's shoulders begin to relax. He nodded, although he still wasn't quite sure what to make of this man who Chloe had told him was going to take Sammie away.

"Look Matt", he said softly. "I think we all got off on the wrong foot." He was looking at Matt but Sam knew the words were addressed equally at her. "I was surprised when I found out about your Daddy and Sammie – and I said some things that weren't very nice and I'm sorry. Chloe explained everything and I promise I'm not going to take Sammie away. She and your Daddy love each other and you and it's good that they're going to get married. And you know what?" he asked, peeking a look at his stern-faced daughter.

"No", Matt shook his head.

"I'm especially lucky because now I get _three_ new grandchildren. I was just explaining to your sisters that it's a grandfather's job to spoil his grandkids. So how about it – would you mind if I was your grandpa?" Jake stood quietly, knowing things could go either way. Matt was still standing in front of Sam and her hands remained on his shoulders. He almost smiled because he suddenly noticed that the young boy looked exactly like a miniature Jack O'Neill. Jacob felt a sense of relief wash over him. What the hell had he been thinking? Who _better_ than O'Neill for his daughter? And as an added bonus she got these three great kids. All of a sudden he felt extremely lucky and realized it was a great day.

"Okay", Matt's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Excellent!" Jacob dropped Chloe's hand for a second, giving her a brief smile. He then held his hand out towards the boy and smiled when Matt returned his handshake. "And now, I'm hungry. Does anyone want to go with me to get a piece of steak?"

He wondered what the spurt of laughter from Matt meant, but didn't get an answer from him or from his suddenly grinning daughter. As the kids scurried out of the house he reached out his hand and stopped her. She glanced at him, but he could tell she was still leery – and still hurt.

"I'm sorry Sam. I really was just surprised and consequently acted like an utter ass. I'm happy for you and Jack." His face broke into a huge smile. "And I apologize for the comments about the kids. I think they're wonderful and you're a great Mom. I'm proud of you Sam – proud and happy."

She felt herself relax, although she wasn't _quite_ ready to forgive him completely – not until – "What about Jack?" she asked.

Damn! He closed his eyes briefly. He was going to have to apologize to O'Neill – who'd never let him live it down.

_It serves you right Jacob_, his conscience and permanent pest told him. _As usual you allowed your mouth to run ahead of your brain._

He groaned and then quickly backtracked when he saw the return of the frown to his daughter's face. "I'll tell him I'm sorry too Sam." When her eyes narrowed and she looked at him suspiciously he attempted to look as sincere as possible. "Really – I will. I know I said some stupid things but I do respect him and know how much he loves you. The fact that he's sometimes an as- "

"_Dad_!"

"Okay, okay. Don't worry, I'll apologize." He grew serious. "Forgive me?"

She slowly nodded and then allowed a small smile to appear. "Okay, but you have to promise to be nice to Jack – for at least a week", she told him.

He groaned again. "Okay – although if he starts to bug me I can't promise –"

"Dad!"

"Okay, okay – a week. Now let's go and get that steak!"

It was a good think Jacob didn't see the evil grin that appeared on Sam's face. She was about to see her father eat burnt steak – sometimes called crow!


	30. I DO

_**As promised - a second chapter in one evening! Okay - this is total, pure, unadulterated fluff. My apologies to any of you who are into fashion and weddings - I'm lousy at it but tried. Thanks all for your faithful reviews. I have a whole list of people to get back to and will do so - I really appreciate all the comments, reviews and suggestions. **_

_**Hope you enjoy the fluffity, fluff, fluff.**_

"Daddy, Daddy", Ali ran up to him but was fortunately grabbed by Daniel who was standing close by.

"Whoa", the archaeologist said. "Your Daddy is barbequing. Take it easy Ali." The other two arrived just then, and Jack wondered at the big grins that were on all their faces. The girls must have gotten over their upset with Jacob.

"Daddy", Ali cried. "Wees gotsa gwampa!" she said.

Jack put down the tongs, his face showing his confusion. "What?" he asked the little girl, still held firmly by her Uncle Daniel.

"Wees gotsa gwampa!" she said again. "He gotsa 'poil us."

"Okay", he said, facing the older two. "Can someone explain to me what Ali is talking about?"

"She's telling you that we have a grandpa now. Auntie Sammie's Daddy will be our grandpa when you and Auntie Sammie get married", Matt explained patiently.

"An' he 'poil us!" Ali wiggled again, clearly pleased about something.

"I think she's trying to say that I have to spoil them Jack", Jacob said, approaching silently. He watched the Colonel carefully, noticing the well-hidden anger in the other man's eyes. He knew, without a doubt, that it was on behalf of Sam. Yeah, why he'd doubted for even a second that this man was right for his daughter he didn't know. "I told them it's a requirement for grandfathers."

"Oh?" Jack was not about to give an inch. He felt a tug on his arm and glanced down at a serious looking Matt.

"He's not gonna take Sammie away Uncle Jack", the boy told him.

"I told him you love Auntie Sammie more than cake or the Simpsons", Chloe rushed in, clearly trying to convince her father. The kids could read him easily and obviously knew that he was angry. "He's happy that you're getting married and that Auntie Sammie will be our new Mommy – really Daddy."

"He's ower gwampa!" Ali said happily, her three year old self fixated on that one happy thought.

"I see", Jack said, trying to smile at the kids but still having trouble with one obstinate, arrogant, snake-headed – "

"I was an idiot Jack", the man said, interrupting his rather pleasant thoughts. "I'm sorry."

Jack watched the hopeful expressions on the kids' faces and knew that he had to be careful. He didn't want to upset them and knew they were anxious for everything to be okay. "Fine – hey kids, why don't you take Uncle Daniel and go find out how everyone wants their steak and then come back and tell me. Your – grandpa – and I are going to chat for a while, okay?"

Matt and Chloe both stared at him but he forced himself to look happy and relaxed. Ali was already trying to get Daniel to move and finally the older ones went as well.

"Jack", Daniel looked back, a warning in his voice.

"Don't worry Daniel", he answered. "I left my zat at work!"

Daniel watched him for a second and then finally nodded. "Okay Ali, we're going."

Jack and Jacob stood, neither of them breaking the heavy silence. Jacob finally sighed. "I really am sorry Jack. I was just – shocked. I should have kept my mouth shut."

"Yes, you should have."

Jacob was slightly surprised. He'd rarely seen Jack look or sound so serious. God, he hoped he hadn't burnt his bridges with this man.

"You really hurt your daughter and she didn't deserve that, not from you. On top of that you scared my children. I may have a hard time forgiving you for those things. You hurt the people I care about most in this world Jacob. What were you thinking?"

Jack spoke quietly, softly – but Jacob realized, probably for the first time ever, how deadly this man could be. Even at the worst of times Jack exuded an air of humor or sarcasm – rarely if ever did he display this grave exterior. He felt a sudden shiver run through him. This was a man to be feared.

"I wasn't" he replied. "I didn't know about you or about this", he gestured with his arms. "I didn't know about the kids or about your new job. It was all just – overwhelming and I reacted like an overprotective fool. Jack, you're a father so you know that sometimes parents act instinctively, wanting to protect their kids. In this case there wasn't anything to protect her _from_ and I did you a great disservice. If it's any consolation", he told the other man, "Selmak is gonna make me do penance for a long time over this one.

Jack continued to regard him seriously, not quite sure what to do. He'd been terribly disappointed in Jacob and was still seething at the hurt inflicted on Sam. "Have you talked to her?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes – and I apologized to her as well. I love her Jack. I've seen you with your kids so I know you know how much. I would never consciously hurt her and yet I know I did. I also know I hurt you and I promise I'll make it up to you both."

"How?" Jack wanted to know, still serious.

"Well – uh – I promised Sam I'd be nice to you – for a whole week!"

Jack almost grinned, but then thought about little Ali and Chloe who had been so afraid they were going to again lose someone they loved. "Not enough", he said plainly.

"Uh – what else do you want me to do?"

"I don't know Jacob – part of me wants to zat the hell out of you – and the rest of me wants you to go back to wherever you came from – but I know that would hurt Sam even more. Maybe you'd just better stay out of my way for a while until I cool down. I really don't think it would be good for Sam and me to start our marriage with me killing her father."

Jacob grimaced – damn, he'd really blown it. "Okay, I can do that", he said softly. "Maybe it's best if I head back through the gate. I'll stay away as long as you'd like."

Jack cursed silently, knowing that that wouldn't help anything. He knew Sam would want to see her father and the kids suddenly seemed to be enchanted with the idea of a grandfather. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"No, Sam would be unhappy." He frowned. "Are you here on a mission?" He realized he didn't even know what Jacob was doing here.

"No – I'm on vacation actually. I told the Tokra I needed a break so I decided to come to earth for a few weeks."

"I see. Look, I know Sam will want to spend some time with you but for now, why don't you go and visit Mark. Maybe by the time you're back I'll be okay with everything."

Jacob nodded. It was a good idea. "Thanks Jack and I really am sorry. By the way – congratulations!"

"What?" What was the man congratulating him for?

"For marrying my daughter. You _are_ a lucky man you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"And for getting the kids. It's sad, what happened to their parents, but they couldn't have landed with a more perfect new father. You're very lucky to have them – and they're very lucky to have you." With that Jacob smiled and began to turn away until he felt a hand grab his forearm.

"Jack?" he asked, wondering what the other man was doing.

"Thanks Jacob", he said. "And as pissed as I am with you right now, I want you to know that I'm happy you're going to be 'grandpa'. They need that in their lives and I think you'll be great at it. Just don't 'poil' them too much!" He grinned slightly and turned back to his steaks.

Jake watched him for a moment and then grinned. It may take a while, but everything was going to be alright. He shook his head and wandered over to see George.

* * *

"NO Ali, put it down!"

"It's mine!" she cried.

"I know baby, but it'll get wrecked. Just leave it alone for now. Why don't you go and watch cartoons with your brother and sister?"

She pouted but left the tiny basket of flowers in it's box on the table and headed out to the living room.

"Whew – I never knew fatherhood could be so exhausting." Daniel stood, dressed in his tux and watched his best friend finish dressing in his uniform.

"Why the hell do I have to wear this thing?" Jack complained. "It's got to be the world's most uncomfortable uniform."

"You're wearing it because Sam wanted you to", Daniel smirked. "I believe she thought you'd look 'sexy' in it."

Jack stared at him, his hands frozen over the buttons of the Mess uniform. "Daniel, don't ever, ever refer to me as sexy, even when quoting Sam."

Daniel grinned widely. "Okay – I'm only sayin'"

"Don't!"

"Still, it looks good Jack. You should wear your uniform proudly."

"I do Daniel - I just wish I could wear it comfortably!"

"Well, you gotta admit the stars make a nice addition!"

Jack still couldn't quite believe they'd promoted him to General. He wondered if there'd been some kind of weird virus going around that had affected the powers that be in DC. Surely they must know that he was the world's _worst_ candidate to be 'the man'.

Hammond had explained that with the importance of the training program growing, the PTB felt they needed to promote him. "People were bitching that it was an important post and needed someone of higher rank in charge. I think some people were jockying for the post but they wanted to keep you so –"

"So they stuck two stars on my shoulders and patted me on the ass and told me to go and be a good boy!" Jack groused.

"Jack!" Hammond laughed. "In fact, they felt you were already over do for a promotion and they're thrilled with the job you're doing. Just enjoy it!"

So, here he was, getting married again as a _general_. Who would ever have thought!

"Dr. Frasier is here to pick up the girls O'Neill", Teal'c stuck his head in and said. The Jaffa was looking magnificent in his tux, a black fedora on his head to hide the tattoo. "I will ensure that the flowers accompany them."

"Thanks big guy!" Jack moved into the other room where his two daughters were standing, their hair curled and pulled up with flowers strung through them. They looked so beautiful!

"Come here you two", he said softly, holding out his arms. They both raced forward and hugged him.

"I love you Daddy", Chloe said. "You look handsome!"

"Thank you miss – and you look gorgeous yourself. I can hardly wait to see you in your dress." The dresses were already at Janet's, waiting for the girls. They all knew it was best to keep them out of them until the last possible moment.

Ali pulled on his arm so he bent down until she was able to give him a kiss on the cheek. "ays gotsa pink dwess Daddy!" she whispered in his ear. "And fwowers!"

"I know", he whispered back. "And Auntie Sammy said you look beautiful in the dress."

"Daddy?" Chloe asked seriously.

"What sweetheart?"

"After you and Auntie Sammie get married -"

"Yes?"

"Can I call her Mommy right away?" she wanted to know.

"Absolutely – if that's what you want. I know Auntie Sammie is looking forward to that."

She nodded sagely. "See Ali – I told you."

"It is time to go Misses O'Neill", Teal'c stood waiting, and bowed to the girls when they looked at him. With a final kiss for their father they headed out to the car where Janet was waiting.

Jack couldn't help but smile. The girls had been so excited about today. Chloe was a junior bridesmaid and Ali the flower girl. Sam had made sure to pick out pretty dresses for them that they'd both love.

"What are you grinning about Jack?" Daniel wanted to know.

"Oh, just about girls and weddings", he explained. "I thought Ali and Chloe were going to burst from excitement this week."

"Yeah, and of course you weren't!"

Jack grinned again. "Hey, what can I say? Sam and I have known each other for eight years. I think it's about time I could actually bring her home with me and keep her!"

"Right – I'm sure Sam wants to be a kept woman!"

"You know what I mean Jackson", Jack smirked. "And anyway – I'll be every bit as much a 'kept man'."

"And you're planning on enjoying it, aren't you?"

Jack didn't need to reply.

He stood at the front of the church, happy and nervous and a little stunned. He couldn't quite believe this day had finally arrived. Here he was, his two best friends at his side along with his son – waiting for the world's smartest, most gorgeous woman – who was marrying _him_ – Jack O'Neill.

He looked around the church only to see many of the men and women he worked with, his friends, other teams, former buddies and knew how lucky he was. He sighed. He wanted to get this over with. He wanted to be able to call Sam his wife and start their life together.

Just then the classical string quartet started playing the strains of the Pachelbel's Canon in D. Chloe entered first – looking beautiful and serene in her pale pink dress. It was floor length, and the skirt was made of tulle with a wide dark pink ribbon. The top was satin and lace and she looked beautiful.

Jack couldn't help the lump that rose in his throat when he saw her. Of the three children Chloe was the one he'd worried about the most. She was a sensitive and loving child but easily hurt. She was often quiet – but he knew it was because she thought and felt deeply. Right now she was smiling, looking happy and secure. She looked straight into her father's eyes and saw no other as she moved forward. He knew he was blessed to be able to call her his daughter.

Next came the girl who was _like_ a daughter to him. Cassie was a young woman – the strapless satin gown adding an innocent maturity to her years. God, the men would be flocking when they saw her like this. Finally came Janet – stunning in her deep rose colored gown. It too was strapless, but its lines were more mature, sexier – and Jack knew heads were turning at the site of the petite medic. He wondered suddenly why Janet had never remarried. She was stunning.

Finally he watched as little Ali came out, dressed in a floor length satin dress. It was pale, pale pink with a big sash and a lace bodice. She carried a tiny basket and was throwing petals on the floor as she walked. He was proud of her. She had been nervous but this time there were no tantrums and she was holding up like the little trooper she was. She stopped at one point and waved and grinned at Teal'c – who waved back. The guests laughed and she continued on her way.

Finally – _finally_, the moment arrived. The music stopped and after a pause started up again. This time it was the Trumpet Voluntary that played. As the trumpets rang out the woman who had been by his side for all these years – who had fought beside him, laughed with him, saved him and loved him, began to walk down the aisle.

She was accompanied by her father, who looked both happy and proud. Jack felt Daniel and Teal'c both look at him – but he had eyes for no one but her. He felt Matt put his hand in his. He squeezed it – acknowledging the love of the small boy at his side – but he couldn't take his eyes from the woman who was slowly approaching him.

Her gown was deceptively simple. It was a single shoulder gown of organza, embroidered with tiny flowers which hugged her body tightly, showing off her toned and slim figure. It had a drop waist which hugged her hips and then it flared out from there, with a long train that trailed behind.

She carried a bouquet of pink roses and baby's breath. Jack had suspected that pink wouldn't have been her first choice but it had thrilled the girls – and was a small price, as far as Sam was concerned, to make this a special day for them. In the end it had looked beautiful on all of them.

She'd finally arrived at his side – where she had always been and would always belong. Jacob gave him a smile and placed her hand on his arm. He looked at the other man and nodded gratefully. Both men knew what it meant – that Jack was thanking him for his daughter, was accepting him into his family and was forgiving him for how he'd acted. He moved to his seat in the front row and sat. "They did good, didn't they Selmak?", he said silently to his life's companion.

_Yes Jacob – they did – and so did you._

The minister spoke about their love and respect for one another –that from now on they would truly walk side by side, that they would both be there for each other – always. It was finally time for the vows.

Jack and Sam stepped forward and then Jack motioned to all the children who also stepped forward. The minister smiled, as did everyone in the church.

"Jack, Sam", he said, "put your hands together." When they had done that he then turned to the three children. "And now each of you put your hands on top of your parents.

It was a little difficult due to the height difference. Matt managed but it was hard for Jack and Sam to bend down enough for both Chloe and Ali. The problem was solved when Teal'c picked up Ali and Daniel picked up Chloe and they stood in the circle, the girls now able to put their hands together with their parents.

Once everyone was ready the minster turned to Jack. "Jonathan, please say your vows to Samantha."

Jack took a deep breath, praying he could say the words that meant so much. He cleared his throat. "I, Jonathan Richard O'Neill, take you, Samantha Mary Carter to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love. In the presence of God and our family and friends I give you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in all you do, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you and to love you – always."

Sam looked into the eyes of the man she loved and knew that the words he'd said weren't just something for this ceremony, but that he meant them with all his heart and soul. When the minister turned to her she nodded and began – "I, Samantha Mary O'Neill – "

As she finished her vows she continued to look deeply into Jack's eyes – eyes that were swimming in tears. He smiled, although the joy was so intense he found it difficult.

"Now", the minister continued. "Children, it's your turn." The three kids looked up with excitement and nervousness. "You remember how to do this, right?" They nodded.

"Okay then. Matthew David Benton O'Neill, Chloe Margaret Benton O'Neill and Allison Elizabeth Benton O'Neill, do you take Jonathan Richard O'Neill and Samantha Mary Carter to be your mother and father, to love them and obey them, to cherish them and help them, to give them lots of hugs and kisses and to always clean your rooms?"

"I do" answered Matt.

"I do" replied Chloe.

"Me too!" cried Ali. With that everyone laughed, although there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Sam reached out and hugged the three children and then Jack did the same.

"In that case", the minister said, beaming. "I now pronounce you husband, wife, Mommy and Daddy." He turned to the audience. "I'd like to present to you – The O'Neill family!"

Jack smiled and gave Sam a quick kiss. He then kissed each of his children and joined in the celebration. He and Sam would have time together, just the two of them, but now was a time for family. He looked at his children and then at Teal'c and Daniel – his brothers, Janet and Cassie also his family, George and Jacob – the two men like fathers and brothers to him. He saw Mark and his family and he looked further into the audience to see Walter and Siler, Griff and Ferretti, the scientists, nurses and doctors, lab techs and airmen, officers and enlisted and so many of men and women who had stood by him and by Sam. They were their friends and their family.

He turned back to Sam and grinned. "I love you", he mouthed.

She nodded. "Always."


	31. Moving On

_**This is the story that never ends ….! This really was to be the last chapter – but okay, just one more after this (for now). I really do plan to get back to the other two in progress stories. This just kind of came to me as I looked around at my still unpacked boxes. Hope you like.**_

She was happy – she really was. She was glad she'd married Jack – it was the fulfillment of many years of dreams – and she loved being a mother. The children were wonderful, family life was great, the sex was – well, she didn't really have words for that but she definitely knew she could no longer live without it – so all in all, everything was fine. At least it should have been.

She sighed deeply, staring at the papers in front of her. She'd been at work for a few hours now and was pretty sure she'd accomplished nothing. She squinted at the papers – surely she'd done _something_? Nope – not a thing. Another sigh and a twirl of the chair and she was no closer to finishing anymore than she'd been an hour ago.

What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so – nervous, so closed in? She had everything she wanted so why did things seem so – what? Damn! It must be her – maybe she'd only be satisfied when – hell maybe she'd never be satisfied.

"Hi Sam", Daniel's voice startled her so much she practically fell off her stool. "Whoa there, what's wrong?" he came over and steadied her.

"Thanks", she muttered. "Nothing's wrong", she told her friend, shuffling the papers on her desk. "I just have a lot to do, that's all."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows and looked at the reports in front of her. He was pretty sure they were the same ones that had been here the last time he'd checked on her. "Uh Sam – talk to me."

"I _am_ talking to you Daniel. I just told you I was busy."

"Okay, but I don't think you're telling the whole truth. Come on, this is Uncle Danny here, I -"

"You're _not_ Uncle Danny – at least you're not _my_ uncle, so don't patronize me! I'm your colleague so please treat me like one."

"O – kay", he said, suddenly really worried. "I didn't mean to offend you, I just want to help."

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I know", she answered quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump down your throat. Look, I don't know what's wrong, I'm just feeling – bitchy, okay."

"Uh – that time?" he asked carefully.

She laughed. "It's okay Daniel, you can talk about it and no, it's not PMS and I'm not pregnant. I'm just – hell, I don't know what I'm feeling."

He slowly sat in the chair next to her. "Is everything okay with you and Jack?" The two of them had been married for almost six months now and he'd thought everything was going well. Certainly Jack seemed happy enough. God, he hoped they weren't having problems – it would kill his friend to lose Sam.

She sighed again. "Yes, everything's fine." She seemed to realize that Daniel was looking concerned. "Don't worry – I'm not about to leave him. I love him and he loves me and everything's great!" She pounded her fist on the table. "Everything is hunky dorey, wonderful, fantastic! I have the perfect life so _why in hell am I feeling this way?_"

"What way Sam?" he asked gently. "Can you describe how you're feeling?"

"What's this? Daniel Jackson, Psychologist?"

"No, just Daniel Jackson, friend."

She groaned and bent her head. "I'm sorry, I'm doing it again, aren't I. I really don't know why you put up with me."

"Well, it could be because you're family and I care about you."

"Yeah, I know." She took a deep breath and tried to relax. "I'm just – I'm feeling anxious and tired and – and like I want to run away from home. And I don't know why. I love Jack and things have been great. I adore the kids and they're really good. It's just – some days I go home and I want to pull my hair out. I walk in and there are kids everywhere – four if you count Jack – a dog, a cat, two turtles, six fish and toys from one end of the house to the other. Some days I just want to go home, take a hot bath and relax like I used to. Instead I'm in demand from the moment I walk in the door. It's Mommy this, and Sam that and I feel so damned ungrateful for it all. What's wrong with me Daniel?"

He smiled slightly and put his arm around her and made her rest her head on his shoulder. "I think you're suffering from pretty classic 'parent blues' he answered. "Look Sam – you've gone from being on your own for a lot of years to suddenly being part of a big, noisy family. You've never had kids before and all of a sudden you're saddled with three" he grinned, "okay, on bad days four. I think it's perfectly natural to feel this way. Have you spoken to Jack about it?"

"No", she answered in a small voice. "I don't want him to worry. You know him, he'll feel all guilty as if it's his fault and it's not. I'm also worried that he'll think it's _about_ him and again, it's not. He's wonderful – he really is Daniel", she said when he snorted. She lifted her head and looked at him. "Jack is one of the most loving people I've ever met", she explained, "and believe it or not, when it comes to home life he's also really patient. I know", she grinned, "hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true. I feel like there's something wrong with me. Why am feeling like this?"

"Do you feel this way all the time", he asked, worriedly.

"No – up until recently it was great. It's just – things have been busy around here, we've had some crappy missions and then I go home and -" she held her hands up and shrugged.

"I think you need to talk to Jack, explain things, tell him how you're feeling. If you let this go on too long it'll just start to fester and then it _will_ affect your relationship with him and the kids."

She sighed. "I suppose so – I just don't know what to say. I don't even know what's wrong myself and I'm afraid this is going to really freak him out. He's – he's pretty insecure when it comes to relationships. I think he worries that he'll screw up." She looked at Daniel carefully, feeling slightly guilty for even telling him that.

Daniel was nodding – "I know Sam", he told her. "If there's one thing in this world that Jack is a master of it's guilt. I'm pretty sure he's convinced himself he's responsible for every bad thing that's happened in the last ten years. But you know what – he loves you more than life itself and he _wants_ to make your marriage work. Don't shut him out – that's a sure way to have things go wrong and he'll be the first to tell you that."

This time she nodded. "You're right. I'll tell him – when the kids are in bed." She sighed and looked down at the paperwork on her desk. "Damn! This stuff just won't go away!"

"It has a tendency to do that when you just stare at it. I find that actually reading it and working on it helps." He grinned at her and stood up. He then bent over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Let me know if there's anything I can do. And talk to Jack. He needs to know what's going on."

He wished he knew what was going on. He knew something was wrong – had known it for the last few weeks – but anytime he tried to talk to her about it she changed the subject. She didn't seem to be mad at him and their sex life was good – okay, great, he grinned – but something was bothering her. He didn't think it was the kids, although she'd been short with them a couple of times. Still, on the surface everything was great so why did he get this feeling that things were starting to get screwed up?

It's your life Jack, he said to himself. This always happens and the next thing you know you're alone again. He stopped suddenly. What the hell was he doing? There was no way he was going to let this happen. He was not going to lose the life he had now – nor the woman or children in it. He'd just have to figure out what was wrong and fix it. He could do that, couldn't –

"Oooph!" he went flying and practically plastered himself against the bathroom door. In fact, he jammed his face into the side of the door and saw stars. "Crap!" he almost yelled, although he didn't want to scare the kids. He held his eye and went into the bathroom. It took him a moment before it stopped watering enough for him to look at it. Oh yeah – he was going to have a shiner all right. How the hell was he going to explain this one? Oh, I just walked into a door Sergeant!"

Damn! What the hell had caused him to trip anyway? He went back into the hallway and saw one of Matt's roller skates lying there. Jack felt himself grow angry – he had told the kids to put away their toys a million times!

He made his way to the living room where he knew they were playing. On the way he noticed other toys and books lying around. When he got to the living room he saw more stuff and then saw that the table was filled with Sam's notes on some project she'd been working on. He grimaced when he saw what looked like sticky cookies sitting on top of one pile of papers.

"Okay everyone" he announced. "This house is a mess and it's time to get cleaning." The kids looked up at him and either groaned – or whined. "Nope, there's no getting out of it. Matt, I just about knocked myself out because of your skate – which you've been told many times is to be put away – so let's get moving!"

He'd finally got them picking things up, although it had been hard. Once they were working it was a bit easier, especially since he made a game of it.

"Owie?" Ali came up and gently touched his face. "Does dat hurt Daddy?" she asked, looking at what he was sure was a beautifully colorful shiner.

"A little", he sighed. "I think I need a kiss to make it better." He knelt down and Ali gave him a gentle kiss – and then Chloe ran over and gave him one too. "There, much better! I am _so_ glad I got two daughters and a son with magic kisses!"

The girls giggled and Ali shook her head at him. She did that a lot, he noticed. She must have gotten it from Sam. "You're siwwy Daddy", she said. He noticed her speech was starting to improve greatly. He'd been a little worried, but the doctor said she was completely normal.

"Some kids develop faster in one area, some in others. It doesn't really matter as long as it's not too delayed, which it isn't in Ali's case. She'll be fine."

"Me? Silly? General Jonathan O'Neill – silly?"

"Yup – _very_ silly", Matt was there with his eyes crossed and his tongue hanging out. The next thing he knew he was being tickled by his father.

The girls piled in and suddenly all of them were rolling around on the floor, laughing and giggling – and trying to gang up on Jack.

"Heh!", he cried, "no fair – it's three against one."

"But you're big Daddy", Chloe explained. "And we're little."

"But there are three of you", he whined, but with a wink at his middle child.

"When Mommy comes home she can be on your side!" Matt explained.

"Well, Mommy _is_ home." Jack and the kids looked up and there she stood, grinning down at them. "Can I ask why there is a pile of O'Neills in the middle of the living room floor?"

"They attacked me Mommy", Jack exclaimed. "I need your help."

"You? You're an experienced solder and a general. I think you can get out all by yourself."

The kids giggled again and all piled on top of him. Finally he cried 'uncle' and they let him up.

He stood and brushed himself off. Straightening himself he smiled at Sam. "Hi – you're home –"

"_Jack_!" she cried, moving closer and lifting her hand to his eye. "What happened?"

"Would you believe I walked into a door?" he said sheepishly.

"No really, what happened?" she said, imagining all sorts of bad things at work.

"Uh really – I walked into a door."

She stood silently, watching him, until it dawned on her that he was telling the truth. "What? How in the world did you walk into the door?"

"Matt left one of his skates out and Daddy tripped on it." Chloe explained.

"Tattle tale!" Matt glared at his sister. "I didn't mean to Mommy – I forgot!"

Sam sighed and suddenly felt the depression she'd been feeling all day settle back around her. "Well, you'd better pick everything up. Jack, you need to put something cold on that to keep it from swelling any more. Do you need to go see Janet?"

"No, it's not that bad." He looked narrowly at his wife, worried by her demeanor. "Why don't you go get changed and relax a bit? The kids and I were just tidying up."

"Yeah, I could see that." She sighed and looked around, but stopped when she noticed her papers, covered in sticky crumbs. She closed her eyes briefly. "Okay – I'll be out in a minute."

Jack watched her go, knowing that he had to figure this out. There was something wrong – he just prayed it was something he could fix.

It came to him late that night, long after Sam had fallen asleep. He'd tried to talk with her but she'd simply rolled him over onto his back and had begun kissing him. By the time he was able to think clearly, she had already curled up and gone to sleep.

He had lain awake, thinking about everything until he finally figured it out. Snuggling up to his wife, his arm thrown around her and his body spooned up behind her, he closed his eyes. I'll deal with it in the morning.

Sam went to work the next day, a little happier after a good night's sleep. She still felt an underlying anxiety but for the most part things seemed okay. Maybe it _was_ just hormones, she thought. She was glad she hadn't said anything to Jack.

"Hi Colonel." Her head lifted from the part she was examining, to stare at the man in her doorway.

"Jack - ur General – what are you doing here?" It took her a moment to realize he was dressed in civvies. What was going on?

"Well, I heard that there was this Lieutenant Colonel who worked in this office and that it was time for her to go home – so I thought I'd come and pick her up. You okay with that?" he asked waggling his brows.

"I'm fine with it", she said, "as long as I'm not being replaced by some _other_ Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Nope. You're the one – the only one."

"Good, then I guess you can take me home." She looked down at herself. "Uh, should I just come like this or can you wait for me to change?"

"Go ahead – change. I'll just go up and bug Hammond until you're ready."

She grinned at him. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that."

"Yeah well – you know, he and I can talk about general stuff. I'm mean, it's not like we can just talk to _anyone_ about things like that."

"Really? General stuff eh? What kind of stuff?" she asked as he walked with her towards the locker room.

"You know", he waved his hands around., "stuff that's top secret, classified – you know the 'I'll have to shoot you if I tell you' stuff."

"Really? Like when are the really good cookies coming in so you can get to them first? Or what are the best odds in the SGC betting pool? Those kinds of things?"

"Exactly", he grinned. He left her at the door to the ladies locker room and waved. "I'll be back in half an hour."

She was chuckling as she walked in to change out of her BDU's. She wondered what had gotten into him today and why he was here. She shrugged slightly – if she knew her husband – and she did –she'd find it hard to get a straight answer out of him. Still, she should just enjoy it. She loved spending any time she could with the man.

They got into Jack's truck and drove off the base. Normally she'd bring her car but it was in the shop getting a tune-up so Jack had dropped her off that morning. She had been planning to get an airman to drive her home, but this was much nicer.

"Jack – you missed our turn!"

"Nope", was all he'd answer.

"Where are we going?" she asked suspiciously. She should have known he had something up his sleeve.

"You'll see. Be patient."

She could do patient. In fact, she was the queen of patient – normally. Today – not so much.

"_Jack_", she whined. "come on – where are you taking me?"

He shrugged and kept driving. A few minutes later he turned down a residential street. It was long and tree-lined – with big properties. It almost looked like they were in the country, although it was still in Colorado Springs.

He pulled into a driveway and drove for a few seconds until he'd reached the house. He then shut off the engine.

Sam looked around and noticed another car in the driveway, a woman standing beside it. What was this?

"Where are we?" she asked.

"At this house", he replied, nodding towards it. When she frowned and looked like she was going to speak he covered her mouth with his finger. "Let me explain", he told her.

He quickly rolled down his window and told the woman standing by the other car that they would be with her in a minute. He then turned to his wife.

"Sam – I've noticed that you haven't been so happy lately." When she went to interrupt he laid his hand on her arm. "Look, I know you and I know you've been stressed out. I'm not exactly sure why", he went on, "but I thought maybe it's all been too much." When she looked like she was wanted to argue he quickly continued. "I just think that you were suddenly plunked down into the middle of a ready-made family and as much as I know you love us all, and we love you, it _was_ a loss of your independence. I know you Sam", he repeated. "You're a strong woman and you're used to being on your own. This – being in a family – is a big change. And it doesn't help that we're bursting at the seams. Look, I just thought it might help if we considered moving to a bigger place – a place where you had room to get away if you need it – a place where there was a 'kid free' zone. I know I could certainly use one!"

"But Jack – you love that house. You've lived there for years."

"Yes – I have – but that doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome a change. Look, it's too small for five of us and the various pets. I just think we should consider it."

"And this", she nodded towards the house.

"This is for sale. That woman over there is Sandra Jenkins – she's a real estate agent. She was recommended to me by a couple of the guys at the Academy. Look, I'm not pushing you and if you don't want to move, that's fine – and you don't have to like this house, I just thought we could look at it and give it some thought."

She nodded at him and slowly smiled. He was darned good at reading her, and she suddenly felt bad for not confiding in him. She went to open her mouth and apologize when he again stopped her.

"It's okay Sam – don't worry about it. As long as you still love me and aren't planning on moving to Vorash or anything, I'm fine."

She smiled wider and leaned forward to give him a kiss. "God I love you O'Neill!"

"Same here Carter!"

The house was a long ranch style with windows everywhere. The property was surrounded by trees although there was a wide open space behind the house. They wandered through the rooms and both of them loved how open and bright it was. It was also obvious that the family who was living here had young kids – and there was plenty of play space. There were six bedrooms, a fully developed basement, a kitchen to die for (eat in of course) and a media room.

"Excellent", Jack said, rubbing his hands together. "A man cave!"

"A _man_ cave?" she laughed. "Not unless I can have a woman cave!"

"Your wish is my command Colonel", he grinned. "Sandra, shall we?"

The agent nodded and led them out into the backyard. "This is a great place for the kids to play", Sam said, noticing that it was fenced in and had a great wooden play fort.

"Mmm Hmm – and for their mother to play as well."

"What?" Sam looked at him in confusion.

Jack pointed. "There."

Sam turned and saw what looked like a little house. "What's that?"

"It's a guest house", the agent explained. "The people who live here have a big family and built it for visiting relatives. Would you like to see it?"

It was cute, Sam decided. It had a bedroom and one big room which was a living room/kitchen. There was also a lovely bathroom and another small room which could be a tiny bedroom for someone.

"It's nice", she said, still looking a bit confused. "Uh – we don't really need a guest house. I mean, there are plenty of bedrooms."

"Not a guest house Sam", Jack explained, taking her hands. "A lab."

"What?" her brow crinkled in confusion. "A lab?"

"Sure, why not? We convert this place into a lab and office for you so you have some place to get away from the kids", he paused and considered for a moment, "okay, and me. You can come in here and this can be your 'kid free' zone and husband free zone if you want. No one will bother you here and it should be nice and quiet. Whatya think?"

She looked around again, this time considering it from a new angle. The thought of having her own space was – liberating. She could feel herself begin to relax.

"We'll have a separate play room for the kids and we'll have room for guests. We can even put up your father when he's in town."

"It looks expensive Jack."

"It's actually quite reasonable", the agent explained. "The people are desperate to move – he's started a new job in Chicago and his employer is paying the moving costs. It's also a great location with excellent schools."

"Sam – I have a good salary and so do you. I also have lots of savings." He shrugged when her eyes questioned him. "I haven't really had anything to spend the money on."

"Yeah, me too. I'm off –wo - ur travelling so much that I didn't need a lot of money." There was also the money sitting in the bank from the sale of her old place. She turned around and looked carefully at the house. She had already fallen in love with it and knew it would be so much better than their present one.

"Okay", she said. "let's put in an offer."

* * *

"No Ali, you cannot pack Thor in a box! He wouldn't like it at all. We'll take him over in his crate in the car. No, not Bra'tak or Zena or Apophis either. They have to go in their tanks. Why don't you go and pack the rest of your dolls – they _like_ travelling in boxes."

"No Matt, I don't know where your baseball glove is. Mommy probably already packed it. Yes, I _know_ it's your special one – that's why we told you to look after it."

"SAM! Have you seen my Dr. Who collection? I can't find it anywhere."

"I'm sure Emily can come and play with you at your new house Chloe. Don't cry. You'll make lots of new friends. I'm sure they'll like you. Yes, I know Emily is your best friend – and she can still be your best friend. We're only moving a few blocks away."

"Hey, how do I know how that got there? It was probably one of the kids. Okay, okay – so they don't like anchovy pizza. Wow, look at that – it's petrified! HEY! Don't throw it away. We could sell it on E-Bay!"

"SAM! Where's my University of Minnesota T-shirt? You know, the one with the hole in the neck? It's my favorite one."

"No Chloe – Emily will _not_ be hurt that you're moving and yes, she can come over for a play date – but _not now_."

"ALI! Where the heck did you – give it to Daddy please! No, it's not a balloon – it's a – it's a – SAM!"

"Yes, I do too need it. I've had it for years and you can't get them any more. How long? Well – I don't know – but you never know when it'll come in handy."

"Matt – do _not_ tease your sister. Now tell her you're sorry! Okay mister – time out. You do not stick your tongue out at her and call her Toey Chloe! You sit there until I tell you you can move."

"SAM – did you see the cat? She's disappeared and Chloe thinks we may have packed her with the blankets."

"Ali – you cannot pack your beans! You are to eat them all up now."

"Yes Chloe, Hannah will still like you too. Yes she can come over as well. No _not now_!"

"THOR! Come back with that right now! SAM – Thor's eating my Simpson's hat! I do too wear it. Well – Mrs. Schlagle's lawn party last year. That's not nice!"

"Well – I was single for a long time and you know – a guy needs a little – oh hell, just give me the damned video and I'll throw it in the garbage. No, I won't let the kids see it, although Ali already found – never mind."

"Hey Saaam! Okay, so maybe now's not the best time – but we could lock the door and we have the whole floor!"

"Matt! Do _not_ put the turtle down your sister's back. No, Bra'tac does not like sleeping in armpits. He's to stay in his tank."

"Ali – oh! Shhh, Ali's asleep. No Matt – do not cover her with the moving blanket."

"Chloe, it's Emily on the phone. She wants your new address."

"Matt, you got all your toys packed – good job son."

"Sam – I think we got everything. Just sit down and relax."

She looked around at their new house, filled with boxes and piles of furniture, and then at the children who were all asleep on the air mattresses on the floor. Yes, this was good – this was what they needed. She smiled – she was happy and life couldn't be better.

"SAM! Have you seen my Homer Simpson bobble head?"


	32. The Family O'Neill epilogue

Sam had tears in her eyes and so did the girls. _He_ claimed it was just dust but his wife gave him a knowing glance and rolled her eyes.

"You're a complete fraud General O'Neill", she whispered.

"Am not!" he whispered back. "I'm just – "

" - as proud as can be and a few tears are to be expected. There's no one here that's going to blame you for them."

"But I'm a _general_", he said. "Generals aren't supposed to cry!"

"Since when?" she turned and looked at him.

"Well – I think it's in the general's rule book somewhere."

She snorted. "Right. I expect it's more in the 'chest-thumping, macho-man, big tough soldier's rule book."

"I do _not_ thump!"

"Daddy, when's it going to start?"

He looked down at his seven year old daughter who was seated on his right side. "In just a minute pumpkin."

"Kay. Is Matt gonna wear that funny hat?" she asked him.

"Yup – all of the graduates will."

"Can I have one when I graduate too?"

"Of course you can." He reached over and put his arm around her. "And Mommy and I will be just as proud of you as we are of Matt."

Lily smiled at him and leaned into his side. He smiled down at her and squeezed her gently. He then glanced over at the wiggling boy on the other side of Sam. He watched as his wife tried to get the boy to settle although he knew it was pretty much a losing battle. As Sam pointed out regularly, Zach was the spitting image of his father. He couldn't sit still for a moment and was constantly on the go. They had him involved in all kinds of sports, just to try to expend some of his energy.

Chloe and Ali were whispering to each other and giggling. He was pretty sure they were checking out all the boys. He was okay with that – what he hated is when he caught one of the boys checking _them_ out. He grinned. That's when he pulled out his fierce general face and scared the pants right off of them. His daughters frequently complained that he scared off all the boys – but he still remembered what it was like to be a teenage boy himself – and he knew _exactly_ what they were after.

Just then the music started and he watched as the graduates marched in. He felt an incredible sense of pride as Matt walked down the aisle, standing tall and looking handsome in his gown. As he walked by the row with his family he turned his head slightly and winked. Zach and Lilly both waved.

Okay, this time he admitted it. When Matt was called up to get his diploma there _were_ tears in his eyes. So sue him – he couldn't help it. Graduating high school was a big deal and he couldn't be more proud of the fine young man Matt had turned out to be.

He thought back ten years, to the day he'd found out about his cousin's death and the sudden advent of three young children in his life. He'd been terrified that he'd screw up – that he wouldn't be a good father, that he'd do something to destroy their young lives like he'd done with his own son. Instead, he'd gotten a life he'd only ever dreamed about.

He glanced at his wife – Sam – the woman he'd known now for over eighteen years. She'd been at his side through all of those years, the last ten as his wife. He still loved her passionately, although their love had settled into that warm, comfortable place of people who'd been together for a long time. They knew each other intimately – in all ways – for good and bad. She was someone he trusted totally, that he knew he could rely on, and that continued to stand by him. She was his other half – which might be a cliché but was totally true.

Chloe – she was almost sixteen now and had turned into a beautiful young woman. She was still the quiet one, although she had a confidence and a serenity that made people adore her. She was still an artist and had even had showings of her work. What made him even more proud was the fact that art wasn't just something for herself – she used it to help others. For the last few years she'd been volunteering to work with children who lost their parents – helping them use art to express and deal with their grief. Of all the people he'd known in his life, he'd never known anyone simply as _good_ as Chloe. She was his angel.

And then there was Ali! Of all the kids, she was the most challenging. Oh, she was loving and happy and kind-hearted – she was also the one to most easily fall into trouble. Ali acted before she thought and often ended up in situations from which she had to be rescued. Fortunately none of them – to date – had been anything too serious, although he worried what would happen when she grew a bit older. She was thirteen and he dreaded the next few years. He'd been very tempted to have a locater chip imbedded in her arm, although Sam had nixed that idea. Still – he had to keep an eye on her constantly. The one advantage they had was Teal'c. He and Ali had always been close and she would listen to him. Jack suspected that she was a bit afraid of him and didn't want his wrath, or disappointment directed at her.

Still – she was loving and funny and sweet – and he adored her as much as his other children. Of all his kids he figured she was the one who should go into the military. The discipline might help her – and she'd probably be the secret weapon to end all weapons.

And then there were his youngest, Zach and Lily. When he and Sam first got married they'd decided that if they could have kids it would be great – if not, well they had a wonderful family already and they'd accept it. She hadn't known whether or not she could even have children – not after Jolinar and all the other things she'd been through. So, when she'd found out she was pregnant it had been a matter for quiet rejoicing - quiet because they didn't want to get their hopes up. They both knew how chancy the pregnancy was, so it was only once she'd gotten farther along that they'd been able to breathe a sigh of relief and allow themselves to be totally happy.

Sam had made the decision, as soon as she found out she was pregnant, to stop going through the gate. It had been hard for her and there was grief there, but she smiled and told him that it was her decision and one she didn't regret. Once Zach had been born and he'd seen the light in her eyes, he believed her.

Lily came along just a year and a half later. Jack had been worried – he figured it was just too much for Sam and they already had four kids. But Sam had insisted she wanted to try again.

"Jack, I know this may not work out and I know I'm getting older but I want to try. If it doesn't happen – that's okay, but I would like to have just one more."

Five kids? He shook his head, wondering what they were possibly thinking. He was an older father to begin with and he couldn't imagine having _two _babies at the same time. Still, when he looked at his other kids he couldn't help the grin. He liked having them and hell – what was one more? It was simply more love, more fun – and damn, more diapers!

So, along had come Lily. When he'd seen the tiny girl, and the midwife had handed her to him he'd cried. He couldn't believe that this tiny, fuzzy haired little girl was actually his. He'd felt the same when Zach had been born but for some reason he'd expected a son – he hadn't expected to have a little girl.

So here he was – a man who had gone through hell, literally and figuratively, a man who had lost so much in life – and yet now had been given so much. He had a wife he adored, two sons and three daughters who were the light of his life – oh, and he couldn't forget two dogs, three cats and various other living creatures. He might be a four star general, medals from here to eternity, the respect and admiration of men and women – and aliens – throughout the galaxy, but what meant more, much more – was that he was Sam's husband – and he was 'Dad'.

The graduates threw their hats in the air and there was cheering and shouting – and a whole host of grinning, clapping O'Neills. He stood up and, along with his family, made his way to the front. Matt turned and grinned at his family.

"Hi", he said.

His father held out his arms and pulled him in for a huge hug. "I'm proud of you son", he said softly.

"Thanks Dad. I couldn't have done it without you."

* * *

"No Matt, you cannot take the car. Because I don't want you in little pieces all over the road. Call me and we'll pick you up."

"Ali, there is no way you are wearing that out in public. Go change. Yes I know I'm mean, you're still not wearing it."

"Sam, the cat threw up in the kitchen. What? Me?"

"Chloe, Brad called and wants you to call back. Tell him I want to meet him first. No, I'm not going to scare him – not too much anyway."

"Zach _stop_ teasing Thor – he's getting old and wants to sleep. I heard that mister – I do not sleep during the day!"

"Sam – the cat threw up again."

"Lily, just ignore your brother and he'll go away. Okay, so maybe he won't go away, but he won't enjoy it as much."

"Ali – take that off! No, you cannot go out like that. You're right, I don't understand, but I really don't care. You will not wear that."

"Chloe, who's Dave? Oh – tell him I want to meet him."

"No Matt, you cannot take the truck. I know it will impress her but you can take the Honda instead. Why? Because the Honda's back seat is too small."

"Zach, Mrs. Madison called and said you didn't hand in your homework. What's going on?"

"Sam – I think one of the turtles died. Either that or he's crawled out of his shell."

"Lily – it's okay. Ali is just in a bad mood. Why? Hormones."

"No Matt, I'm sure she won't even notice the zit on your nose."

"Chloe – Evan called. Tell him I want to meet him."

"Ali – do _not_ talk to your mother that way! Tell her you're sorry."

"Zach, eat your peas. Why? Because your mother makes me eat mine."

"What Lily? Hormones? They're what gave me all these gray hairs."

"Sam – can you do pickup for ballet and piano and I'll cover hockey, soccer and clarinet?"

"Ali – I'm gonna have to tell Uncle Teal'c – or do you want to tell him? Yeah, I know he'll be disappointed, but you did it to yourself."

"Chloe – Tyler called. Yeah Tyler – I don't know – he said he's a friend of Ben's. Tell him – yeah, I know you know but I still want to meet him!"

"Matt, I know you're almost eighteen. That doesn't mean you can do what you want. You still live here – and we're paying for college!"

"Sam, where's the Pepto Bismol? I am _not_ too old to eat anchovy pizza before bed. It was the peas!"

"Ali I do _not_ think I know everything. I just know I know more than you do. Your mother, however, _does_ know everything."

"Lily – yes, you'll be getting hormones too – God help us all."

"Zack, you cannot go to Liam's house until you've learned your six times table. Yes, I know I'm mean. I learned it in the Air Force – that's also where I learned my times tables!"

"Chloe – just because I'm a general _does_ mean I can do what I want – and I want to meet him."

"Sam, we've run out of Guinness – oh - and the cat threw up in the pantry."

"Daniel, hi! Sure, we'd love to have you guys – oh, you want us to babysit? Sure, no problem. SAM, Daniel and Terry are dropping off the twins."

"DINNER EVERYONE! Your Mom's not here and we're having Dad's chili surprise. Okay, okay – you all think you're so funny – but your mother does _not_ sleep in the guest room when I eat my chili. Okay – well not every time."

"WHO LEFT THE TOILET PLUGGED? No, the dog does not know how to use the toilet."

"Ali, you have to be home by 10:00. Because I said so – and I'm your father – and I love you."

"Matt, I know it hurts but you have lots of time to meet a girl who will want to be with just you. Look at me and your Mom. Okay, so you don't have to wait until you're old. I'm sure you'll meet someone before then."

"Lily. Here baby, it's okay. Come sit with me. Emily will feel bad tomorrow and I'm sure she still wants to be your friend."

"Hi Michael. I'm General O'Neill and I'm Chloe's Dad – Oh, and did I tell you I know fifty ways to kill a man barehanded? No? Well, just sayin' in case you're interested."

"Daniel! Can you come over and help Zach with his project – it's about Egypt and he wants to make a pyramid. No, I do not know how to build a pyramid. I know how to blow one up but Zach says Mrs. Madison wouldn't like that. I don't know why – it's a lot more fun than building one."

"Sam, Janet called and she and Paul have invited us over. Cassie's home and she's brought her new fiancé. Oh – and the dog peed on your report."

"I know Sam, c'mere. I'm gonna miss him too. Hammond was – one of the best men I ever knew."

"George – wherever you are now – thanks! You were one helluva commanding officer, and one of the best friends I ever had. Rest in peace."

"Jacob! What brings you to this part of the universe? Your grandkids? Okay – so – I'll just – go back to what I was doing. Don't mind me. I won't get in the way of you and your grandchildren. Yup – I'll just sit here quietly, watching TV all by myself. Oh - if you're sure? Yeah, that'll be fun. KIDS! Grandpa's here and he's taking us out for ice cream."

"You're going to do just fine in university Matt. You're a smart young man and your Mom and I have every confidence in you. Here's a couple of hundred bucks in case you get in trouble. And if you need anything – call us at anytime. Oh – and don't forget – okay, okay, I know you know. You just can never be too careful, especially at your age. I love you son."

"Chloe, I just got a call from your school. You're being given an award for your work with kids – and you're on the honor roll. We're _so_ proud of you and we love you so much. Ethan – sure, you can go to a movie with him – if I can meet him first."

"Ali – you look beautiful in that dress. Did your Mom help you pick it out? C'mere and give this old man a hug. Wow, you're growing into such a lovely young lady. I love you kiddo! And don't pull the skirt up after you leave!"

"Zach, Mrs. Madison called. She told me you did a great job on the pyramid and she wants to put it in the school lobby. She also said you learned all your times tables. I'm taking you out to celebrate! Yeah – a banana split? Sounds good. I love you son."

"Hey miss Lily. Come and sit on Daddy's lap and tell me about your day. I hear you and Emily went to the mall with her Mom. You bought a new doll? Wow, she's pretty – but not as pretty as you. I love you baby."

"Happy anniversary Sam. It's been a great ten years, hasn't it? Thank you for loving me and putting up with me – and staying by my side always. I'm the luckiest man in the world. Oh – by the way – the cat threw up in our bedroom."

The END

Thank you to all of you who have come on this long and fun journey. It's hard for me to say goodbye – I fell in love with Matt, Chloe and Ali (and now Zach and Lily) and they were my babies too. Of course I've always loved Jack and Sam, Daniel and Teal'c – and the rest of the SG family. I am putting the family O'Neill to rest for a while – although I may return later for some adventures, both large and small.

A special thanks also to you my fabulous, wonderful, sometimes funny, always encouraging reviewers. Thank you for taking the time to send me a note – it meant so much and kept me going. I love you all – and hope you'll continue to read and review some of my other stories. Again, thank you!

"Sam – I can't find the cat. What did you do with her?"


End file.
